BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Public Holidays

Bob Russell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he has any plans to introduce an additional bank holiday; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The pattern of bank holidays is well established and accepted but we keep suggestions of additional holidays under consideration.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children: Abuse

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what  (a) statutory and  (b) other obligations there are upon him to investigate allegations of child abuse in children's homes.

Beverley Hughes: Although Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families has a general duty to promote the well-being of children, there is no statutory duty on him to investigate allegations of abuse in children's homes. However any allegations of abuse brought to the Department's attention would immediately be passed to the LA or the police to investigate, depending on the information provided.
	All children's homes must have child protection policies in place which mean that allegations of abuse are notified to the local authority and the police who have a duty to investigate.

Children: Databases

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many parents have refused to allow the details of their children to be kept on the ContactPoint database.

Beverley Hughes: The inclusion on to ContactPoint of all children and young people in England is a requirement of the Children Act 2004 Information Database (England) Regulations 2007, which define and limit strictly what information can be held on ContactPoint. Consequently, there is no option for parents to refuse to have their children's details put on ContactPoint.
	Parents may make requests to the relevant local authority for their child's record to be shielded if they consider there are circumstances that would put the child or their parent or carer at increased risk of harm, if their whereabouts became known. The process of shielding hides from view all details that could reveal their whereabouts. Decisions as to whether or not shielding is appropriate will be taken by the local authority, on a case-by-case basis, informed by the level of threat posed.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department has taken to address the effect on levels of carbon dioxide emissions from his Department of its ICT purchases since the publication of the Greening Government ICT Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families is working towards meeting the Greening Government ICT Strategy objectives and is taking a wider range of actions, which can be found on the Department's Sustainable Development webpages at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/aboutus/sd/index.shtml
	Sustainable use and especially lowering the levels of carbon dioxide emissions are key drivers for the procurement, deployment and upgrading of ICT. This includes asking ICT suppliers to evidence their compliance with current or impending standards to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions such as the Government's Buy Sustainable-Quick Win standard and the European Union Energy Star Standard.
	The Department has a well-advanced programme of replacing stand-alone printers, photocopiers, scanners and fax machines with multi-function devices to reduce energy consumption and consumables. On completion there are potential electricity cost savings of over £7,000 and a potential reduction of around 18,000 kilograms of carbon emissions in a full year across the Department's London and Sheffield sites.
	Other actions include a range of active device power management solutions that are either in place or being put in place; and using more videoconferencing and remote working technologies to reduce travel related carbon emissions.
	The Department is currently developing plans for rationalising and making more efficient use of its data centres and other infrastructure with the potential for significant reductions in energy consumption and carbon emissions.

Gifted Children: Suffolk

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of gifted and talented pupils attending schools in Suffolk did not obtain five GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In 2008, 103 (12 per cent.) of gifted and talented pupils attending maintained schools in Suffolk did not obtain five GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and mathematics. Pupils identified as gifted and talented are defined as
	"Children and young people with one or more abilities developed to a level significantly ahead of their year group (or with the potential to develop those abilities)".
	This includes students identified for their talent in, for example, creative arts or sports rather than their ability to excel academically.

Offences Against Children: Haringey

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects the executive summary of the second Serious Case Review of the death of Baby P to be published.

Beverley Hughes: Haringey Local Safeguarding Children Board will publish the executive summary of the second Baby P serious case review as soon as possible.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 24 February 2004, what percentage of children were entitled to free school meals in each school in each principal seaside town on the latest date for which figures are available, listed in descending order; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information has been placed in the House Libraries.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the proportion of children who attained five or more GCSEs at A* to C grade at schools where  (a) more than 50 per cent.,  (b) between 35 and 50 per cent.,  (c) between 21 and 35 per cent.,  (d) between 13 and 21 per cent.,  (e) between nine and 13 per cent.,  (f) between five and nine per cent. and  (g) fewer than five per cent. of children were receiving free school meals in each year since 1996; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of independent special schools judged as  (a) outstanding,  (b) good,  (c) adequate and  (d) inadequate at their last Ofsted inspection are in each decile of area deprivation;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of maintained and non-maintained special schools judged as  (a) outstanding,  (b) good,  (c) adequate and  (d) inadequate at their last Ofsted inspection are in each decile of area deprivation;
	(3)  how many and what percentage of special schools assessed as inadequate by Ofsted at their most recent inspection are in each decile of area deprivation;
	(4)  how many and what percentage of independent special schools in the ( a) top and  (b) bottom decile of area deprivation as determined by the income deprivation affecting children index were judged to be (i) outstanding, (ii) good, (iii) adequate and (iv) inadequate in their most recent Ofsted inspection.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: These are matters for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and copies of her replies have been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 16 April 2009:
	 Parliamentary Question Number 269667: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what percentage of special schools assessed as inadequate by Ofsted at their most recent inspection are in each decile of area deprivation.
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	Inspections of maintained and non-maintained special schools are carried out under the inspection framework defined by section 5 of the Education Act 2005, and include a judgement on overall effectiveness. Inspections of non-association independent special schools are carried out under the inspection framework defined by section 162a of the Education Act 2002, as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005. Under this framework, there is no summary judgement for overall effectiveness and these schools are not categorised as outstanding, good, satisfactory or inadequate. Consequently, Ofsted does not hold the information on these schools that you requested.
	Table A shows the numbers and percentages of maintained special schools and non-maintained special schools found to be inadequate at their most recent Ofsted inspection. These have been allocated to ten bands according to the income deprivation affecting children index (IDACI) 2007 produced by the Department for Communities and Local Government, where 1 indicates the most deprived 10%, and 10 indicates the least deprived 10%.
	As of 2 March 2009, 984 maintained special schools and 73 non-maintained schools were open in England. 958 of the maintained special schools and 70 of the non-maintained special schools have been inspected by Ofsted up to 31 December 2008, the latest inspection data available. Of these, 14 maintained special schools and 2 non-maintained special schools were found to be inadequate at their most recent inspection. The IDACI was then used to allocate these schools into ten bands, based on their postcodes.
	
		
			  Table A:  Special schools with inadequate overall effectiveness at their most recent inspection, by area deprivation 
			  Type of special school  Bands of deprivation (based on IDACI( 1) )  Number of schools  Percentage of schools 
			 Maintained special schools 1 (most deprived 10%) 3 21 
			  2 1 7 
			  3 0 0 
			  4 0 0 
			  5 1 7 
			  6 0 0 
			  7 3 21 
			  8 2 14 
			  9 2 14 
			  10 (least deprived 10%) 2 14 
			  Total 14 100 
			 
			 Non-maintained special schools 1 (most deprived 10%) 0 0 
			  2 0 0 
			  3 0 0 
			  4 0 0 
			  5 0 0 
			  6 0 0 
			  7 0 0 
			  8 2 100 
			  9 0 0 
			  10 (least deprived 10%) 0 0 
			  Total 2 100 
			 (1) Income deprivation affecting children index 2007 (Department for Communities and Local Government)  Note: Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100 
		
	
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 16 April 2009:
	 Parliamentary Question Number 269668: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what percentage of independent special schools in the (a) top and (b) bottom decile of area deprivation as determined by the income deprivation affecting children index were judged to be (i) outstanding, (ii) good, (iii) adequate and (iv) inadequate in their most recent Ofsted inspection.
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	Inspections of non-association independent schools are carried out under the inspection framework known as Section 162a. Under this framework, there is no summary judgement for overall effectiveness, and independent schools, including special schools, are not categorised as outstanding, good, satisfactory or inadequate. Consequently, Ofsted does not hold the information for which you asked. It should also be noted that many of the pupils in independent special schools do not live in the area in which the school is situated and may well come from a wide area. This would affect any association with local area deprivation.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 16 April 2009:
	 Parliamentary Question Number 269795: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what percentage of independent special schools judged as (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) adequate and (d) inadequate at their last Ofsted inspection are in each decile of area deprivation.
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	Inspections of non-association independent schools are carried out under the inspection framework known as Section 162a. Under this framework, there is no summary judgement for overall effectiveness, and independent schools, including special schools, are not categorised as outstanding, good, satisfactory or inadequate. Consequently, Ofsted does not hold the information for which you asked. It should also be noted that many of the pupils in independent special schools do not live in the area in which the school is situated and may well come from a wide area. This would affect any association with local area deprivation.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 16 April 2009:
	 Parliamentary Question Number 269796: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what percentage of maintained and non-maintained special schools judged as (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) adequate and (d) inadequate at their last Ofsted inspection are in each decile of area deprivation.
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	Table A shows the number of maintained special schools and non-maintained special schools inspected by Ofsted under the current inspection framework (commonly known as section 5), as well as their inspection outcomes. These have been allocated to ten bands according to the income deprivation affecting children index (IDACI) 2007 produced by the Department for Communities and Local Government, where 1 indicates the most deprived 10%, and 10 indicates the least deprived 10%. Table B shows the same figures expressed as percentages.
	As of 2 March 2009, 984 maintained special schools and 73 non-maintained special schools were open in England. 958 of the maintained special schools and 70 of the non-maintained special schools have been inspected by Ofsted up to 31 December 2008, the latest inspection data available. The IDACI was used to allocate these schools into ten bands, based on their postcodes. The IDACI band of deprivation is not yet available for the postcode of one maintained special school and, therefore, this school, which was rated outstanding, has been excluded from the analysis. The information used to allocate postcodes to IDACI band of deprivation has been updated since my response to Parliamentary Question 264609. As a result, the number of good schools in the 10% most deprived areas has increased from 56 to 57.
	Within the total number of inspected schools given above, two maintained special schools and one non-maintained special school were last inspected under the previous inspection framework (commonly known as section 10), in use before September 2005. The inspection outcomes and deprivation bands for these overall effectiveness judgement was made using a seven point scale: excellent, very good, good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory, poor and very poor. It is not possible to operate a simple read-across approach from a seven- to a four-point scale. Ofsted's criteria for making inspection judgements about schools are clearly set out in our inspection guidance. Inspectors do not make reference to, or comparisons with, the previous inspection framework.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
	
		
			  Table A: Inspection outcomes for special schools at their most recent inspection, by area deprivation :   Schools inspected under the current inspection framework 
			  Number of schools 
			Overall effectiveness: number of schools inspected  
			  Type of special school  Bands of deprivation (based on IDACI( 1) )  Outstanding  Good  Satisfactory  Inadequate  Total 
			 Maintained special schools 1 (most deprived 10%) 38 57 18 3 115 
			  2 23 66 15 1 105 
			  3 25 49 15 0 89 
			  4 20 63 21 0 104 
			  5 30 46 20 1 97 
			  6 19 46 17 0 82 
			  7 28 46 12 3 89 
			  8 21 50 11 2 84 
			  9 19 61 10 2 92 
			  10 (least deprived 10%) 23 55 17 2 97 
			  Total 246 539 156 14 955 
			
			 Non-maintained special schools 1 (most deprived 10%) 0 0 0 0 0 
			  2 0 0 0 0 0 
			  3 0 4 2 0 6 
			  4 3 3 1 0 7 
			  5 1 3 0 0 4 
			  6 0 4 0 0 4 
			  7 3 4 2 0 9 
			  8 2 8 1 2 13 
			  9 5 8 2 0 15 
			  10 (least deprived 10%) 3 5 3 0 11 
			  Total 17 39 11 2 69 
			 (1) Income deprivation affecting children index 2007 (Department for Communities and Local Government)  Note: Excludes one maintained special school with outstanding overall effectiveness for which an IDACI band of deprivation is not yet available for its postcode. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Inspection outcomes for special schools at their most recent inspection, by area deprivation:  Schools inspected under the current inspection framework 
			  Percentages 
			Overall effectiveness: percentage of schools inspected  
			  Type of special school  Bands of deprivation (based on IDACI( 1) )  Outstanding  Good  Satisfactory  Inadequate  Total 
			 Maintained special schools 1 (most deprived 10%) 4 6 2 0 12 
			  2 2 7 2 0 11 
			  3 3 5 2 0 9 
			  4 2 7 2 0 11 
			  5 3 5 2 0 10 
			  6 2 5 2 0 9 
			  7 3 5 1 0 9 
			  8 2 5 1 0 9 
			  9 2 6 1 0 10 
			  10 (least deprived 10%) 2 6 2 0 10 
			  Total 26 56 16 1 100 
			
			 Non-maintained special schools 1 (most deprived 10%) 0 0 0 0 0 
			  2 0 0 0 0 0 
			  3 0 6 3 0 9 
			  4 4 4 1 0 10 
			  5 1 4 0 0 6 
			  6 0 6 0 0 6 
			  7 4 6 3 0 13 
			  8 3 12 1 3 19 
			  9 7 12 3 0 22 
			  10 (least deprived 10%) 4 7 4 0 16 
			  Total 25 57 16 3 100 
			 (1 )Income deprivation affecting children index 2007 (Department for Communities and Local Government).  Notes: 1. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. 2. Excludes one maintained special school with outstanding overall effectiveness for which an IDACI band of deprivation is not yet available for its postcode. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C: Inspection outcomes for special schools at their most recent inspection: Schools inspected under the previous inspection framework 
			  Type of special school  Band of deprivation (based on IDACI( 1) )  Overall effectiveness 
			 Maintained 9 Very Good 
			 Maintained 5 Good 
			 Non-maintained 10 Good

Special Educational Needs: GCSE

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils who had  (a) statemented special needs,  (b) non-statemented special needs and  (c) no special educational needs and who attended mainstream secondary schools achieved five grades A* to C at GCSE including English, mathematics, at least one science, at least one foreign language and history in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Special Educational Needs: GCSE

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of pupils who had  (a) statemented special educational needs,  (b) non-statemented special educational needs and  (c) no special educational needs and who attended mainstream secondary schools achieved five grades A* to C at GCSE in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of pupils who had  (a) statemented special educational needs,  (b) non- statemented special educational needs and  (c) no special educational needs and who attended mainstream secondary schools achieved five grades A* to C at GCSE including English and mathematics in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many and what percentage of pupils with  (a) a statement of and  (b) unstatemented special educational need who attended mainstream schools achieved (i) five A* to G grades, (ii) five A* to C grades and (iii) five A* to C grades including English and mathematics at GCSE in each year since 2003.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information available can be found in the tables:
	
		
			  Number of pupils with a statement of special education needs and percentage of that cohort who achieved selected GCSE benchmarks 
			   Five  A* to G grades  Five  A* to C grades  Five  A* to C grades including English and mathematics 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 2008 9,376 71.1 2,512 19.1 1,192 9.0 
			 2007 9,104 67.2 2,142 15.8 1,024 7.6 
			 2006 9,077 64.4 2,034 14.4 1,015 7.2 
			 2005 8,885 62.5 1,636 11.5 850 6.0 
			 2004 8,927 60.3 1,484 10.0 697 4.7 
			  Source: Achievement and Attainment Tables, National Pupil Database 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of non-statemented special education needs pupils and percentage of that cohort who achieved selected GCSE benchmarks 
			   Five  A* to G grades  Five  A* to C grades  Five  A* to C grades including English and mathematics 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 2008 86,448 81.9 32,205 30.5 15,775 14.9 
			 2007 72,430 78.0 22,030 23.7 10,930 11.8 
			 2006 63,152 74.9 16,731 19.8 8,367 9.9 
			 2005 55,919 73.0^ 13,057 17.1 7,361 9.6 
			 2004 51,775 70.9 10,327 14.2 5,455 7.5 
			  Source: Achievement and Attainment Tables, National Pupil Database 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of pupils with no special education needs and percentage of that cohort who achieved selected GCSE benchmarks. 
			   Five  A* to G grades  Five  A* to C grades  Five  A* to C grades including English and mathematics 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 2008 454,931 97.2 349,167 74.6 270,503 57.8 
			 2007 465,283 96.5 334,515 69.4 262,063 54.3 
			 2006 464,860 95.9 321,034 66.3 251,429 51.9 
			 2005 459,705 95.5 304,628 63.3 246,415 51.2 
			 2004 468,003 94.8 294,936 59.7 232,013 47.0 
			  Source: Achievement and Attainment Tables, National Pupil Database. 
		
	
	Figures prior to 2004 have not been provided as these are not available on a comparable basis.
	These figures are for pupils in maintained mainstream schools which include: Academies, Community schools, Voluntary Aided schools, Voluntary Controlled schools, Foundation schools and City Technology schools.

Special Educational Needs: Truancy

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of unauthorised absences were recorded in respect of pupils with  (a) statemented and  (b) non-statemented special educational needs in each of the last 10 years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The available information is shown in the tables.
	Data on pupil characteristics linked to absence was collected in the School Census for the first time in 2005/06, but was collected from secondary schools only. In 2006/07 data were also collected from primary and special schools.
	
		
			  Proportion of sessions of unauthorised absence by status of special educational need of pupil( 1)  2005/06 to 2007/08 
			  Percentage 
			   2005/ 06 
			   Primary( 2)  Secondary( 2,3)  Special( 4)  All schools( 3,4) 
			  SEN status of pupils: 
			 No identified SEN (5)— 59.8 (5)— (5)— 
			 SEN no statement (5)— 33.9 (5)— (5)— 
			 Statement of SEN (5)— 4.2 (5)— (5)— 
			 SEN status not provided (5)— 2.2 (5)— (5)— 
			 Total (5)— 100.0 (5)— (5)— 
		
	
	
		
			   2006 / 07 
			   Primary( 2)  Secondary( 2,3)  Special( 4)  All schools( 3,4) 
			  SEN status of pupils: 
			 No identified SEN 58.3 57.4 0.1 56.4 
			 SEN no statement 35.6 36.4 3.1 35.4 
			 Statement of SEN 2.4 3.9 94.9 5.5 
			 SEN status not provided 3.7 2.3 1.9 2.7 
			 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   2007/ 08 
			   Primary( 2)  Secondary( 2,3)  Special( 4)  All schools( 3,4) 
			  SEN status of pupils: 
			 No identified SEN 58.3 54.7 0.5 54.5 
			 SEN no statement 35.8 39.4 4.8 37.5 
			 Statement of SEN 2.1 3.6 92.4 5.2 
			 SEN status not provided 3.7 2.4 2.3 2.8 
			 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 
			 (1) Number of sessions of unauthorised absence for pupils within each status of special educational need and by phase as a proportion of the total number of sessions of unauthorised absence for all pupils in each phase.  (2) Includes middle schools as deemed.  (3) Includes maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges and academies (including all-through academies).  (4) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools.  (5 )Not available.   Source:  School Census.

Truancy

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children have had at least one unauthorised absence from school in  (a) England,  (b) the North East and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in the last five years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information for England, the North East and Middlesbrough local authority area is shown in the table. To provide data at constituency level would incur disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Primary, secondary and special schools( 1,2 ) number of pupil enrolments with at least one unauthorised absence( 3 ) 2003/04 to 2007/08( 4) 
			  England  2003/04( 2)  2004/05( 2)  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			 Middlesbrough LA  4,740  5,300  4,850 5,780 6,280 
			 North East  46,640  49,190  49,950 61,460 63,440 
			 England  1,306,460  1,406,520  1,431,490 1,706,330 1,713,680 
			 (1) Includes maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges and academies (including all-through academies). (2) Includes maintained and non maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (3) Number of pupil enrolments from the start of the school year to the end of the summer half term each year. Includes pupils aged 5 to 15 who are on the school roll for at least one half day session, excluding boarders. Some pupils may be counted more than once (if they moved schools during the school year or are registered at more than one school. (4) Figures in italics have been sourced from the Absence in Schools Survey. Other figures are derived from the School Census.  Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10  Source: Absence in Schools Survey and School Census (4)

Truancy

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent assessment he has made of the effect on school truancy rates of his Department's initiatives to reduce truancy; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department does not maintain records of truancy. The Department's efforts are focused on improving attendance and reducing absence, and this policy is clearly working, as the following figures show.
	Overall absence in 2007/08 was 6.29 per cent. for maintained primary and secondary schools, special schools, city technology colleges and academies—the lowest on record, having fallen for eight of the last 10 years. On average 70,000 more pupils were in school each day in 2007/08 than would be the case if absence rates were still at the level of a decade ago.
	Persistent absence, where a pupil misses 20 per cent. or more of schooling, is the best indicator of problem absence. The proportion of persistent absentees in primary, secondary and special schools fell to 3.6 per cent. in 2007/08 compared to 4.1 per cent. in 2006/07.
	Persistent absence in secondary schools accounted for 27.7 per cent. of all overall absence. All schools and local authorities now have to target 'persistent absentees' and in 2007/08 persistent absence fell by 17 per cent. in the 452 schools with the highest numbers of persistent absentees.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Beaches: Facilities

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes have been made to the rating  (a) system and  (b) charges for beach huts in Bournemouth in 2009-10 compared with the previous year; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: There has been no change to the rating system. However, the liable party for rates on some beach huts in Bournemouth has changed. Where this is the case, and individual tenants are now liable for rates on their beach huts rather than the council, the VOA has assessed the rateable value of each beach hut separately.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average council tax band of a  (a) social rented,  (b) private rented and  (c) privately-owned dwelling is according to data held by (i) her Department, (ii) the Homes and Communities Agency, (iii) the National Register of Social Housing and (iv) the Valuation Office Agency.

John Healey: For both social and private renters the most common Council Tax band (the mode) is Band A; for owner occupiers the most common band is Band D. The median dwelling value for both social and private renters is within Band B; the median dwelling value for owner occupiers is within Band C. This information is derived from the 2006-07 Survey of English Housing.
	Neither the Homes and Communities Agency, the National Register of Social Housing or the Valuation Office Agency hold the data requested.

Council Tax: Valuation

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes were valued in each council tax band in each region of England in each year from 1993 to 1997.

John Healey: Details of the number of homes in each council tax band in each region of England in each year from 1993 to 1997 are available in issues of Local Government Financial Statistics England, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

Fire Services: Injuries

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many injuries were sustained by firefighters in the course of their duties in each fire authority area in each of the last three years.

Sadiq Khan: The number of injuries sustained by firefighters in the course of their duties in each fire authority area in each of the last three years is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Total injuries sustained by firefighters during operational activities, training for operational incidents and routine activities 
			  Fire and Rescue  a uthority  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  Metropolitan
			 Greater Manchester 186 197 197 
			 London 546 560 604 
			 Merseyside 107 114 90 
			 South Yorkshire 114 118 137 
			 Tyne and Wear 95 100 88 
			 West Midlands 268 174 248 
			 West Yorkshire 229 189 195 
			  Non-Metropolitan
			 Avon 82 76 127 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton 63 56 62 
			 Buckinghamshire 46 41 50 
			 Cambridgeshire 75 105 87 
			 Cheshire 53 42 49 
			 Cleveland 56 89 35 
			 Cornwall 70 54 68 
			 County Durham and Darlington(2) — 42 52 
			 Cumbria 45 41 33 
			 Derbyshire 77 57 64 
			 Devon(1) 141 135 — 
			 Devon and Somerset(1) — — 140 
			 Dorset 93 79 70 
			 East Sussex 123 116 95 
			 Essex 200 165 164 
			 Gloucestershire 56 61 73 
			 Hampshire 41 65 83 
			 Hereford and Worcester 51 67 60 
			 Hertfordshire 137 64 106 
			 Humberside 92 78 40 
			 Isle of Wight 16 32 18 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 0 0 
			 Kent 131 133 129 
			 Lancashire 88 70 70 
			 Leicestershire 58 65 55 
			 Lincolnshire 52 34 42 
			 Norfolk 98 99 82 
			 North Yorkshire 61 69 57 
			 Northamptonshire 107 103 99 
			 Northumberland 34 38 24 
			 Nottinghamshire 98 77 52 
			 Oxfordshire 39 67 45 
			 Royal Berkshire 76 78 81 
			 Shropshire 38 43 47 
			 Somerset(1) 26 22 — 
			 Staffordshire 165 114 110 
			 Suffolk 44 73 65 
			 Surrey 219 138 107 
			 Warwickshire 54 31 48 
			 West Sussex 78 89 73 
			 Wiltshire 65 52 70 
			 England(2) 4,593 4,312 4,291 
			 (1) Prior to 2007-08 Devon and Somerset existed as separate Fire and Rescue Services. (2) Data for 2005-06 for County Durham and Darlington not provided.

Government Office for the North-West

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost to the Government Office for the North West is of  (a) moving to new offices and  (b) renting those offices in the first 12 months after moving.

Sadiq Khan: The Government office for the north-west's lease on its current accommodation in City Tower, Piccadilly Plaza expired on 14 December 2008. The lease has been extended until the Government office moves to an existing civil estate building that is being refurbished.
	The estimated cost of the move of the Government office for the north-west from its current accommodation to Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester in spring 2010 is £1.9 million, which includes removals, security, IT services, new furniture and disposal of old furniture.
	In 2008-09 the City Tower rent was £1,212,000. The cost of the annual rental for Piccadilly Gate has not yet been agreed, but is likely to be approximately £750,000.

Home Information Packs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the likely effect on the retail price of an average home information pack for a  (a) leasehold and  (b) freehold property of the April 2009 changes to rules on such packs.

Margaret Beckett: The Home Information Pack (Amendment) (No.3) Regulations were accompanied by a regulatory impact assessment
	www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/em/uksiem_20083107_en.pdf
	setting out our assessment of the effect of the new rules which came into force on 6 April 2009.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor bodies spent on publicity in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how much  (a) the Tenants Service Authority and  (b) Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor bodies spent on public relations in each of the last three years.

Margaret Beckett: Final audited information for the HCA and the TSA for the year ending 31 March 2009 will be available after the end of the financial year.
	The predecessor bodies of the HCA were English Partnerships, the investment arm of the Housing Corporation, and the Academy for Sustainable Communities. A range of programmes previously delivered by Communities and Local Government (CLG) also transferred to the Agency. The remainder of the Housing Corporation transferred to the Tenants Service Authority.
	The following table shows the amount spent on publicity and public relations by English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation in the last three years:
	
		
			  £000 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			   Publicity  Public relations  Publicity  Public relations  Publicity  Public relations 
			 Housing Corporation(1) 95 (2)0 104 (2)50 98 (2)12 
			 English Partnerships 1,899 627 2,223 650 2,464 982 
			 (1) The Housing Corporation does not have specific budget codes for PR and Publicity, we have instead determined these costs as: expenditure against PR companies, Publicity, and Events. HC expenditure against Web Hosting and Publications cannot be disaggregated between internal and external communications costs, and is therefore excluded from the above figures. (2) While these have been identified as PR companies, it is probable that some of these costs may account for 'public affairs consultancy'. 
		
	
	The publicity and public relations costs for the Academy for Sustainable Communities could be disaggregated only at disproportionate cost. The spend related to CLG programmes that transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency cannot be disaggregated.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what office space is  (a) owned and  (b) rented by (i) the Homes and Communities Agency and (ii) the Tenants Service Authority; and what recent estimate has been made of the monetary value of these holdings.

Margaret Beckett: The following table provides details of the buildings owned by the HCA and their open market values at 31 March 2008, which represents the last audited position.
	
		
			   £000 
			 St. George's House, Gateshead 2,500 
			 Arpley House, Warrington 5,800 
		
	
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 March 2009,  Official Report, column 740W-42W, to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) that listed the HCA's regional offices. In addition, two corporate centres are located in London (at Buckingham Palace Road and Maple House) and the HCA Academy is located in Leeds (at Foundry Street).
	HCA is currently undertaking a review of its accommodation. The agreed future structure will reflect business need and will unlock as many efficiency savings as possible.
	The Tenant Services Authority does not own any office space. The TSA rents office space on the 6(th) floor of Maple House in London, and the 4(th) floor of Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester.
	No valuation is made against rented accommodation.

Housing: Construction

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which Government Office regions of the Homes and Communities Agency have not met their targets for new homes  (a) started and  (b) completed for the beginning of 2008-09.

Margaret Beckett: The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) came into being on December 1, 2008. National targets for housing starts and completions were inherited from both the Housing Corporation (National Affordable Housing Programme—NAHP) and from English Partnerships (Property and Regeneration Programme— P and R). The Department for Communities and Local Government does not publish regional targets for these programmes. The HCA's recent press release provides preliminary national outturn figures for both the NAHP and P and R programmes.
	A full table of figures for both NAHP and P&R is available at:
	http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/page.aspx?pointerid=48d52e4ad7bf43e6842528bb5dcd3b6e

Housing: Low Incomes

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average amount of a mortgage taken out by a buyer purchasing property under HomeBuy schemes in each region was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Margaret Beckett: The following table shows the average monetary value of a mortgage taken out by a buyer purchasing a property under HomeBuy schemes in England in 2007-08, by region.
	
		
			  Region  Average mortgage value (£) 
			 North East 62,980 
			 North West 55,260 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 57,780 
			 East Midlands 52,590 
			 West Midlands 61,610 
			 Eastern 84,360 
			 London 89,970 
			 South East 79,780 
			 South West 71,650 
			 England 76,890 
			  Source: CORE (Continuous Recording) returns from Registered Social Landlords to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). 
		
	
	The size of the mortgage and the deposit can vary according to the size of the equity share of the property.

Housing: Low Incomes

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average sum provided as a deposit by buyers purchasing a property under HomeBuy schemes in each region was in the latest period for which information is available.

Margaret Beckett: The following table shows the average sum provided as a deposit by buyers purchasing a property under HomeBuy schemes in England in 2007-08, by region.
	
		
			  Region  Average deposit (£) 
			 North East 9,820 
			 North West 13,090 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 13,640 
			 East Midlands 10,990 
			 West Midlands 9,620 
			 Eastern 7,720 
			 London 7,360 
			 South East 9,190 
			 South West 11,240 
			 England 9,180 
			  Source: CORE (Continuous Recording) returns from Registered Social Landlords to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) 
		
	
	The size of the mortgage and the deposit can vary according to the size of the equity share of the property.

Housing: Low Incomes

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average  (a) service charge and  (b) ground rent paid on properties bought through HomeBuy schemes in each region is.

Margaret Beckett: The following table shows the average monthly service charge and monthly ground rent paid on properties purchased under HomeBuy schemes in England in 2007-08, by region.
	
		
			  £ (per month) 
			  Region  Average service charge  Average ground rent 
			 North East 36 122 
			 North West 40 141 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 27 132 
			 East Midlands 35 165 
			 West Midlands 42 163 
			 Eastern 33 191 
			 London 80 286 
			 South East 48 207 
			 South West 33 153 
			 England 51 209 
			  Source: CORE (Continuous Recording) returns from Registered Social Landlords to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA)

Housing: Standards

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will estimate how long it will take for 50 per cent. of homes to be at Standard Assessment Procedure 81 efficiency level or above.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East (James Duddridge) on 23 April 2009,  Official Report, column 886W.

Housing: Valuation

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average change in property value was in each region of England between 1991 and March 2009.

Margaret Beckett: The average change in property value in each region of England between 1991 and February 2009 are presented as follows:
	
		
			  Region  Change in house price, 1991—February 2009 (percentage) 
			 North East 196.2 
			 North West(1) — 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 165.4 
			 East Midlands 169.6 
			 West Midlands 169.3 
			 East 177.8 
			 London 200.8 
			 South East 176.3 
			 South West 193.7 
			 England 178.5 
			 (1) Data not available on a Government office region prior to 1999 Q1, as it had previously been split between North West (excluding Merseyside) and Merseyside.  Source: CLG house price index, March 2009 data will be available on 12 May.

Housing: Valuation

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government upon what percentage of house sales the Valuation Office Agency receives information in order to update valuation lists.

John Healey: In 2008-09 the Valuation Office Agency had information that triggered a review of the council tax band on approximately 6 per cent. of dwellings for which it was aware of a sale.

Local Government Finance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the potential maximum reward grant is which each local authority with national indicator 191 targets could receive in 2009-10 if it meets all its targets;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) of 13 March 2009,  Official Report, column 767W, on local government finance, what effect failure by a local authority to meet its local national indicator 191 will have on the level of reward grant available to such an authority in 2009-10.

John Healey: 39 local areas have included a designated target against NI 191 (residual household waste per household) in their Local Area Agreement. Reward for performance against these targets will be payable in 2011-12, from an overall reward fund of £340 million. Entitlement to reward will be based on average performance across all Local Area Agreement targets in an area over the full three-year LAA period. It is not possible, at this stage, to determine the reward grant payable against individual targets in particular years.
	My Department has published guidance on the operation of the reward scheme and this is available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/laarewardguidance2009

Local Government Finance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) of 11 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 504-5W, on sustainable development, whether local spending reports will be extended to  (a) the Highways Agency,  (b) the Homes and Communities Agency,  (c) the regional development agencies,  (d) the Environment Agency and  (e) learning and skills councils.

John Healey: On 22 April 2009 we made arrangements for the production of the first Local Spending Report under section 6 of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007. The arrangements set out full details of the information that will be included in the first report which will be published on 29 April 2009. They will build on the proposals we made in the first phase of a consultation which closed on 3 April 2009.

Local Government: Bank Services

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment  (a) her Department and  (b) the Audit Commission have made of the medium-term effects on local authorities of the potential losses caused by the collapse of Icelandic banks.

John Healey: These investments are not lost but at risk. The medium-term consequences and impact will depend on the extent to which money is recovered. The Government continue to work closely with the banks and Icelandic authorities to ensure the fair treatment of UK creditors.

Local Government: Bank Services

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what capitalisation directions to local authorities have been issued by her Department for pension contributions and redundancy costs; and for what value in each case.

John Healey: Information on the local authorities that have been issued capitalisation directions for  (a) pension contributions and  (b) redundancy costs in financial year 2008-09 were published on the Department's website on 30 January. Capitalisation directions issued for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are also listed on the Department's website at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/capital/capdirsum.htm

Local Government: Bank Services

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons  (a) equal pay,  (b) back pay,  (c) pension contributions and  (d) redundancy costs (i) can be treated as capital for the purposes of capitalisation directions and (ii) cannot be treated as capital for singular losses caused by the collapse of Icelandic banks.

John Healey: Capitalisation has macroeconomic implications, and therefore applications from local authorities for capitalisation—including for expenditure in relation to redundancy, pension costs and equal pay back pay—are assessed against strict criteria. Capitalisation is only likely to be permitted where a very strong case can be made, and, as set out in the guidance for 2009-10, the Department considers that there will normally be no case for the capitalisation of potential losses of investments in Icelandic banks or loss of interest in respect of those investments.
	The guidance is available at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/capital/capdirsum.htm

Local Government: Bank Services

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's policy is on the capitalisation of investment losses incurred by local authorities in Icelandic banks when the regulations deferring the impact of impairment cease to have effect in 2010; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: This money is not lost, but at risk. The regulations allow local authorities to postpone the possible budgetary impact from the potential loss of the investments until 2010-11. This should allow them to be clearer what sums, if any, are still at risk. As set out in our guidance for 2009-10, the Department considers that there will normally be no case for the capitalisation of potential losses of investments or loss of interest in respect of those investments.

Local Government: Manpower

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what records her Department holds of the number of people employed by individual local authorities in the past; and what records her Department holds of the number of people who are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme who are employed by local authorities.

John Healey: The Department does not hold records of the number of people employed by individual local authorities. The Office for National Statistics collects employment statistics for the public sector including local authorities in England and Wales as part of the Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey.
	Details of the total number of people that are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme can be found on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/stats/pensions.htm
	Data about the number of members of the scheme that are not employed by local authorities are not held centrally.

Local Government: Petitions

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what procedures will apply to petitions received by local authorities relating to ongoing  (a) planning,  (b) licensing and  (c) gambling applications.

Sadiq Khan: Local authorities currently have their own procedures for dealing with petitions. The Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill places a duty on principal local authorities to respond to petitions.
	The Government aim to keep the scope of the duty as broad as possible, but acknowledged in the Communities in Control: Real People, Real Power White Paper (Cm 7427) that there are some issues, such as planning, which already have extensive statutory public involvement procedures and should be excluded from the duty to respond to petitions. The Government are considering whether the Licensing and Gambling regimes, which also have public involvement specifically built into their processes, should be excluded from these proposals. All exclusions to the duty to respond to petitions would be subject to public consultation.

Local Government: Standards

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the value-for-money scores were of each local authority in each year that the Audit Commission has produced the figures under the Comprehensive Performance Assessment regime.

Sadiq Khan: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member direct.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred dated 24 April 2009:
	Your Parliamentary question on what the value-for-money scores were of each local authority in each year that the Audit Commission has produced the figures under the Comprehensive Performance Assessment regime has been passed to me to reply.
	The Audit Commission has carried out Use of Resources assessments, to support its Comprehensive Performance Assessments (CPA), from 2005 to 2008. These assessments have been based on auditors' work and have evaluated how well councils managed and used their resources. The Use of Resources assessment required auditors to reach scored judgements, on a scale of 1 to 4, for five themes:
	financial reporting;
	financial management;
	financial standing;
	internal control; and
	value for money.
	Use of Resources scores under CPA are available on the Commission's website and show the overall scores, as well as scores for each of the themes that comprise the assessment.
	In the week commencing 20 April, we will publish our report, Summing up: a review of financial management in local government 2005 - 2008, summarising the results of Use of Resources work under CPA.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.

Mortgages

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had with representatives of  (a) HSBC,  (b) Nationwide,  (c) Santander and  (d) Barclays on their mortgage forbearance schemes.

Margaret Beckett: As part of the programme of work to develop both 'Homeowners Mortgage Support' and the 'Mortgage Rescue Scheme', CLG has held ongoing discussions with a wide range of lenders on their mortgage forbearance schemes, including the four lenders named above.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 12 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 746-7W, on mortgages: Government assistance, how many households deemed to have met the eligibility criteria have received financial assistance to date;
	(2)  how many households have been assisted by each of the local authorities which has fast-tracked the mortgage rescue scheme.

Margaret Beckett: As part of the monitoring arrangements for the Government Mortgage Rescue Scheme, headline data will be published on a monthly basis on the Department's website starting this month. We will be publishing headline data for January, February and March 2009 on 30 April 2009, as pre-announced on the UK National Statistics Publication Hub, after which local authority breakdowns can be made available. The date of this publication has been delayed from 21 April 2009 owing to unforeseen issues with data quality and validation.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the costs to her Department have been of establishing the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme; and what estimate she has made of the total cost to her Department of establishing the scheme;
	(2)  what recent estimate she has made of the likely cost of the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme for each year to 2016-17;
	(3)  how much she expects the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme to cost in each of the next eight years.

Margaret Beckett: The impact assessment for Homeowners Mortgage Support (HMS) was published on Tuesday 21 April and is available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/mortgagesupportimpactassessment
	The impact assessment sets out the estimated costs and benefits of HMS. We estimate that the total set-up cost for Government of HMS will be £2 million (present value); the majority of which has already been incurred as a result of establishing HMS for launch. The table sets out the profile of the overall costs to Government in each of the next eight years:
	
		
			  Profile of HMS  c osts to Government (not discounted) 
			  £ million 
			  Financial year  Govt guarantee cost profile  Total admin ongoing cost excluding VAT  Total Govt set-up cost  Total cost 
			 2008-09 and 2009-10 0.08 1.7 2 3.8 
			 2010-11 0.9 1.4 0 2.3 
			 2011-12 2.5 0.6 0 3.1 
			 2012-13 6.6 0.7 0 7.3 
			 2013-14 9.6 0.8 0 10.4 
			 2014-15 9.5 0.8 0 10.3 
			 2015-16 8.5 0.7 0 9.2 
			 2016-17 3.3 0.6 0 3.9

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of the mortgage market is represented by the mortgage lenders  (a) taking part in the Government's Homeowner Mortgage Support scheme and  (b) expected to join the scheme shortly; and what data she uses to calculate such market share.

Margaret Beckett: Lenders covering more than 80 per cent. of the mortgage market will be providing enhanced support: to their customers through 'Homeowners Mortgage Support' by offering the scheme or comparable arrangements.
	This includes around 50 per cent. market share who will be taking part in the Government's guarantee backed scheme, of which lenders accounting for 45 per cent. of market share opened the scheme on 21 April. A further 30 per cent. will be offering comparable arrangements to their customers.
	The data used to calculate market share are sourced from the 'CML year book and directory of lenders and associated services, 2008-2009'.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assistance will be provided to homeowners in negative equity by each of the mortgage lenders participating in the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: 'Homeowners Mortgage Support' (HMS) is a new scheme which will enable eligible borrowers to reduce their monthly mortgage interest payments to affordable levels for up to two years to help them get back on track with their finances if they suffer a temporary loss of income. Households in negative equity are eligible for support through this scheme.

Non-Domestic Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  for how many years non-domestic revaluation transitional relief operated in the  (a) 1995-2000,  (b) 2000-2005 and  (c) 2005-2010 rating cycle;
	(2)  what estimate has been made of the effect of the end of revaluation transitional relief on levels of business rates in 2009-10.

John Healey: The 2005 transitional relief scheme was introduced as part of the 2005 business rate revaluation. The impact of different options on all businesses was set out in a Regulatory Impact Assessment with the consultation document "National Non Domestic Rates Transitional Arrangements" published in August 2004.
	For 1995-2000 and 2000-05 the period of transitional relief offered was five years. For 2005-10, following consultation, the period of transitional relief was four years, in order that every property should be liable for their full rates bill or receive their full rates reduction from the 2005 revaluation in the final year before the 2010 revaluation.

Non-Domestic Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) of 13 March 2009,  Official Report, column 768W, on non-domestic rates, in which local authority areas the automated valuation techniques have been used.

John Healey: Automated techniques have been used, not for the purpose of valuation, but to inform the analysis of rents of industrial property in a limited number of local authority areas. Those areas are as follows:
	South East—Crawley, Chichester, Worthing, Adur, Brighton and Hove, Hastings and Eastbourne
	Newcastle—Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland and the Teesside conurbation
	East Midlands—Northampton, Leicester and Blaby, Derby, Lincoln and Nottingham
	Leeds—Bradford, Wakefield, Calderdale and Kirklees.
	Final valuations for all the properties concerned will be produced by Valuation Office Agency staff.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of entries on the rating list which were deemed empty were below the empty property business rate threshold in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

John Healey: This information is not available.

Non-Domestic Rates: Small Businesses

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the maximum monetary value of small business rate relief to a firm  (a) in London and  (b) outside London was in 2008-09.

John Healey: The maximum cash value of small business rate relief to a firm both inside and outside of London (excluding the City of London) in 2008-09 was £1,145. In the same period, the maximum cash value of small business rate relief to a firm within the City of London was £1,165.

Property Development: Planning Permission

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning permissions were granted to home owners for improvements to their residential property in 2008-09.

Margaret Beckett: The number of planning permissions granted to home owners for improvements to their residential property in 2008-09 is tabled as follows:
	
		
			  Period  Number granted 
			 April-December 2008 167,000 
			  Source: Communities and Local Government General Development Control Returns PSF. 
		
	
	The figure for January to March 2009 will be published on 26 June 2009.

Property Development: Surrey

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what meetings  (a) Ministers in her Department and  (b) her Department's officials have had with representatives of Dunsfold Park Limited regarding the redevelopment of the former Dunsfold Aerodrome site in Surrey in the last three years;
	(2)  on what dates meetings between representatives of Dunsfold Park Limited and the Government Office for the South East have taken place since July 2005;
	(3)  with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 4 February 2008,  Official Report, column 853W, on property development: Dunsfold Park, which aspects of national planning policy apply to such a development.

Margaret Beckett: Since July 2005 officials from the Government Office for the South East have attended a preview to a public exhibition on 4 February 2006 and a presentation of the proposed development on 11 September 2006.
	Officials from the Government Office for the South East and from CLG have met with representatives of Dunsfold Park Ltd. on 17 April 2007 and 4 September 2007. No Ministers from CLG have met with representatives of Dunsfold Park Ltd.
	The proposed development encompasses a wide range of community and land use issues. The major national policy areas are:
	Planning Policy Statement 1 "Delivering Sustainable Development"
	Planning Policy Statement 3 "Housing"
	Planning Policy Statement 9 "Biodiversity and Geological Conservation"
	Planning Policy Guidance 13 "Transport"
	The application has been subject to an appeal and the public inquiry finished on 3 April 2009. The inspector will also consider any other relevant policy areas.

Property Development: Surrey

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  for what reasons her Department rejected the proposed Dunsfold Park, Surrey eco-town development; and what methodology her Department used to assess the proposal;
	(2)  with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 4 February 2008,  Official Report, column 853W, on property development: Dunsfold Park, if she will place in the Library a copy of each non-confidential written representation  (a) her Department and  (b) the Government Office for the South East received in relation to the proposed Dunsfold Park eco-town.

Margaret Beckett: Dunsfold Park is included in the initial eco-towns assessment summaries, which are available on my Department's website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/eco-townsassessmentsummaries.pdf
	These assessment summaries were the outcome of the scrutiny of all proposals received, including Dunsfold Park, following the launch of the Eco-towns Prospectus (July 2007), and considered proposals in relation to the eco-towns criteria set out in the prospectus. Where proposals met the criteria they then were looked at across Government and its agencies in terms of transport and environment issues, and the opportunities that the locations put forward. Dunsfold Park was not judged to perform sufficiently strongly against the eco-towns criteria to be shortlisted.
	As the Dunsfold Park proposal was not shortlisted for consultation in 'Eco-towns—Living a greener future' (April 2008) no further representations were received by my Department or the Government Office South East in relation to the eco-town proposal. Representations received prior to this from Dunsfold Park Ltd. and its advisers, and any of the promoters of proposals not shortlisted, are not being released by my Department, because this could potentially prejudice any future applications they make in relation to their proposals.

Social Rented Housing: Carbon Emissions

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will establish a target beyond 2010 for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from social housing by 80 per cent; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The Heat and Energy Saving Strategy, launched on 12 February this year, sets out the Government's ambitions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the housing stock, including social housing. In order to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent. by 2050, emissions from the heat, power and lighting used in homes and buildings will need to approach zero. The Government intend to show leadership by ensuring that social housing meets, and where possible exceeds, the aims it is setting for all housing on energy efficiency, building, for example, on the achievements of the Decent Homes programme. The Government are undertaking further work on how this can be achieved as part of the consultation process, which closes on 8 May.

Social Rented Housing: Carbon Emissions

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration she has given to international comparisons of initiatives for energy efficiency in social housing; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The Government are always ready to learn from relevant international experience in this, as in other, fields. The Department has been gathering information about retrofit approaches in other countries, to assess what measures and incentives have been successful in stimulating retrofit activity. This work has covered housing generally rather than social housing specifically.
	However, due to the diversity of our building stock in comparison with other countries, and the differences in climate and attitudes to homes and housing, international comparisons, while very useful, do not provide a blueprint solution to reducing carbon emissions. It is essential that we also support innovation in technologies and delivery within the UK.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Advisory Council on Libraries

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what expenditure his Department incurred on the Advisory Council on Libraries in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 22 April 2009
	Expenditure incurred by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the Advisory Council on Libraries in 2008-09 was approximately £2,535.

Dance

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many meetings of the dance programme board there have been to date; who attended each such meeting; and which organisations were represented at each such meeting.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 22 April 2009
	The Dance Programme Board has met on three occasions. The organisations set out in the following tables were represented by officials from those organisations, and where appropriate the names of senior officials who attended are given.
	
		
			  15 September 2008 
			  Organisation  Official 
			 The Place Chris Thomson 
			 Arts Council England Janet Archer 
			 Youth Sport Trust Suzanne Gough 
			 Youth Dance England Linda Jasper 
			 Association for Physical Education Judy Evans 
			 Specialist Schools and Academies Trust Richard Jones 
			 National Dance Teachers Association/Laban Veronica Jobbins 
			 Deputy Director, DCMS/DCSF Alan Clarke 
			 DCMS 4 officials 
			 DCSF 2 officials 
		
	
	
		
			  12 January 2009 
			  Organisation  Official 
			 The Place Chris Thomson 
			 Arts Council England Janet Archer 
			 Youth Dance England Linda Jasper 
			 Association for Physical Education Dr. Margaret Whitehead 
			 Specialist Schools and Academies Trust Richard Jones 
			 Laban Veronica Jobbins 
			 National Dance Teachers Association Carolyn Woolridge 
			 Ofsted Judith Rundle 
			 Council for Dance Education and Training Sean Williams 
			 Creative and Cultural Skills Council Naomi Kent 
			 Deputy Director, Programmes Team, DCMS Bryony Lodge 
			 DCMS 3 officials 
			 DCSF 2 officials 
		
	
	
		
			  1 April 2009 
			  Organisation  Official 
			 The Place Chris Thomson 
			 Arts Council England Janet Archer 
			 Youth Dance England Linda Jasper 
			 Association for Physical Education Dr. Margaret Whitehead 
			 Specialist Schools and Academies Trust Richard Jones 
			 Laban Veronica Jobbins 
			 National Dance Teachers Association Carolyn Woolridge 
			 Qualifications and Curriculum Authority Crichton Casbon 
			 Youth Sport Trust Suzanne Gough 
			 Training and Development Agency Stefan Burkey 
			 Artservice Alun Bond 
			 Arts Council England London Office Sri Sarker (Observer) 
			 DCMS 3 officials 
			 DCSF 1 official

Music

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much of the funding allocated for new rehearsal spaces for musicians referred to in his Department's press release of 17 December 2007 has been spent to date; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: Discussions have been held with local authorities and other partners with the aim of setting up 10 pilot community music rehearsal spaces in England over the two financial years 2008-09 and 2009-10. Of the £500,000 allocated for the scheme, expenditure has so far totalled £72,434. We are aiming to have all 10 spaces established by March 2010.

Regional Cultural Consortiums

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 434W, on regional cultural consortia, what the estimated costs are of ending the consortia, including redundancy payments.

Barbara Follett: The total grant in aid allocated to the Regional Cultural Consortiums (RCCs) in 2008-09 was £1,994,408. The additional cost to the Department of closing the RCCs was £399,745. From these two amounts the total amount paid in redundancy to RCC staff was £765,505. The Department also has a budget of between £45,000 and £55,000, plus expenses and VAT, for professional liquidation advice in respect of the RCC closure. Although the RCCs are now closed for business their formal liquidation will not take place until the summer of 2009 and so liquidation costs have not yet been finalised.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Death

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what type of inquiry his Department undertakes when a member of the armed forces dies in suspicious circumstances; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Jurisdiction over the investigation of the death of a member of the armed forces will vary depending on where the death occurs. In the United Kingdom the armed forces are subject to the law in the same way as other citizens. Therefore primacy for any investigation lies with the local civil police force. Jurisdiction over the investigation of the death of a member of the armed forces overseas will vary depending on the nature of the incident: foreign civil police and/or service police will sometimes investigate if the death occurs overseas, arrangements will vary from country to country. Where a death occurs on a warship or auxiliary at sea, investigations will fall to the service police and/or (within UK territorial waters) Ministry of Defence police until such time as it can reasonably be established that no criminal act by a person within the services' jurisdiction has taken place. In operational theatres, the service police will usually investigate the cause of death for all unnatural deaths under the lead of the Provost Marshal (Army). A service inquiry will be convened for deaths where it is considered that anything of consequence may be learned which is not apparent from the incident or which has not been or is unlikely to be identified by any other report into the matter.

Armed Forces: Pay

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps the Government is taking in respect of the recommendations of the Armed Forces Pay Review Board.

John Hutton: On 31 March 2009 I announced the Government's full acceptance of the recommendations contained in the 2009 report of the Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB). The AFPRB recommended an increase of 2.8 per cent. in basic pay for all service personnel, including the reserves, in addition to increases in the rates of some allowances and charges. These changes were effective from 1 April 2009. The AFPRB also recommended the introduction of new pay spines for Royal Navy divers and service nurses from 1 August 2009.
	Copies of the AFPRB report are held in the House of Commons Library.

Army: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Army regiments regularly recruit for full-time personnel from the West Midlands.

Bob Ainsworth: Recruitment within the West Midlands Region (Herefordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire and the county of West Midlands) is undertaken by the following regiments.
	The Household Cavalry Regiment
	The Queen's Dragoon Guards
	The Queen's Royal Hussars
	The Queen's Royal Lancers
	26 Regiment Royal Artillery
	The Corps of Royal Engineers
	The Royal Corps of Signals
	The Grenadier Guards
	The Irish Guards
	The Welsh Guards
	1 Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
	2 and 3 Mercian Regiment
	The Royal Irish Regiment
	The Parachute Regiment
	The Rifles
	The Army Air Corps
	The Royal Logistics Corps
	Army Medical Services
	The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
	The Adjutant General's Corps
	The Intelligence Corps, and
	The Corps of Army Music

Ex-servicemen: Identity Cards

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what timetable he has set for the introduction of the veterans' identity card; what functions will be associated with the card; to what benefits cardholders will be entitled; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the annual cost of the proposed veterans' identity card to  (a) the public purse,  (b) bearers of the card and  (c) others; and how many cards he expects to be issued.

Kevan Jones: In response to the recommendation for a veterans ID card we have determined the associated issues, options and approximate costs of its introduction and are currently considering these in tandem with the potential functionality and associated benefits of the card. Since no decision has been taken in relation to the introduction of a veterans ID card, no timetable for this has been set. I will inform the House once a decision on these issues has been made.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the monetary value is of the equipment to be left in Iraq by the armed forces on completion of Operation Telic.

John Hutton: After the withdrawal of UK forces from Basra, we will retain in Iraq the military equipment needed to support the training and assistance that UK service personnel will continue to provide to the Iraqi security forces as part of the normal bilateral relationship. We are continuing to discuss the precise scope of that activity with the Government of Iraq. As UK combat forces drawdown, any proposal to gift equipment to Iraq would follow established procedures.

Military Exercises

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what overseas military exercises  (a) the armed forces have undertaken in each year since 2003 and  (b) have been cancelled in each year since 2003; and what the reason for cancellation was in each such case.

Bob Ainsworth: The armed forces conduct a wide variety of overseas military exercises each year. All overseas exercises are conducted in order to generate, or maintain military capability in line with the tasks outlined in Defence Strategic Guidance. On occasion, exercises are cancelled for reasons that include: effectiveness of delivery; value for money constraints; international policy dimensions and circumstances; operational constraints; and focus on current operations. Table two on page 54 of the MOD Annual Report and Accounts 2007-08 (volume 1) summarises the military exercises cancelled each year since 2004-05. Copies of this report are available in the Library of the House.
	Further data in response to this question has been collated from the Defence Exercise Programme and from the Front Line Command (FLC) archives depicting both the overseas collective training exercises that were undertaken and those cancelled since 2003. I have placed a copy of this information in the Library of the House.

Security Guards: Contracts

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which private security companies are employed by his Department in volatile countries; what the  (a) duration and  (b) monetary value is of each contract; and what local arrangements are in place to manage each contract.

John Hutton: The Ministry of Defence does not currently contract with any private security companies in either Iraq or Afghanistan.

Territorial Army: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Territorial Army personnel were recruited from the West Midlands in the last 12 months.

Bob Ainsworth: Information on the number of personnel from the West Midlands who have joined the Territorial Army in last 12 months could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, 15 officers and 501 soldiers were recruited into Territorial Army units based in the West Midlands region (Herefordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire and the county of West Midlands) between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Futurebuilders England: Catz Club

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library a copy of  (a) Futurebuilders' review of Catz Club's investment portfolio dated January 2008,  (b) Futurebuilders' review of Catz Club for the November 2008 board meeting and  (c) the accompanying Events Timeline and Catz Club Detailed Overview produced for that board meeting.

Kevin Brennan: I have placed extracts from the documents requested by the right hon. Member in the Library. The documents have been redacted to remove the names of individuals.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Solar Power

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many applications have been received for grants for solar photovoltaic technology under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme  (a) phase one and  (b) phase two from organisations in (i) Ribble Valley constituency, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) the UK since the start of the scheme.

Mike O'Brien: Applications received for grants for solar photovoltaic technology under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme  (a) phase one and  (b) phase two from organisations in (i) Ribble Valley constituency, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) the UK since the start of the scheme are as shown as follows:
	
		
			  Applications under Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1 
			   Number of applications  Grant amount () 
			  Householder stream   
			 Ribble Valley 3 22,076.50 
			 Lancashire 11 50,020.50 
			 All UK 1,876 7,462,585.94 
		
	
	
		
			   Number of applications  Grant requested () 
			  Communities   
			 Ribble Valley 0 0.00 
			 Lancashire 0 0.00 
			 All UK 32 556,616.13 
			
			  Stream 2Aprojects up to 100,000   
			 Ribble Valley (1) (1) 
			 Lancashire 5 29,799.00 
			 All UK 119 1,997,444.33 
			
			  Stream 2Bprojects up to 1,000,000   
			 Ribble Valley 0 0.00 
			 Lancashire 0 0.00 
			 All UK 17 1,736,041.00 
			 (1) Not known 
		
	
	 Applications under Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2
	(i) There have been no applications received for grants for solar photovoltaic technology from the Ribble Valley constituency.
	(ii) Within Lancashire applications have been received for grants for solar photovoltaic technology from 80 projects (this includes 21 projects being withdrawn, most of these have re-applied and been accepted; 17 of these are currently being assessed). Further details regarding applications from Lancashire have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	(iii) There have been applications for grants for solar photovoltaic technology from 1,502 organisations within the United Kingdom.

Solar Power

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many grants have been made for solar photovoltaic technology through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme  (a) phase one and  (b) phase two in (i) Ribble Valley constituency, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) the UK in each year since the start of the scheme.

Mike O'Brien: The following number of grants have been made for solar photovoltaic technology through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme  (a) phase one and  (b) phase two in (i) Ribble Valley constituency, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) the UK in each year since the start of the scheme.
	
		
			  Grants made under  Low Carbon Buildings Programme  Phase 1 
			   N umber of  applications  Grant paid () 
			  Householders   
			 Ribble Valley 2 16,577.00 
			 Lancashire 8 38,421.00 
			 All UK 1,342 5,721,553.47 
			
			  Communities   
			 Ribble Valley 0 0.00 
			 Lancashire 0 0.00 
			 All UK 220 281,678.70 
			
			 Ribble Valley  0.00 
			 Lancashire 0 0.00 
			 All UK 23 373,821.79 
		
	
	
		
			  Stream 2B projects up to 1 million 
			   N umber of  applications  Grant Requested () 
			 Ribble Valley 0 0.00 
			 Lancashire 0 0.00 
			 All UK 0 0.00 
		
	
	 Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2
	(i) No grants have been made within the Ribble Valley constituency
	(ii) 42 projects within Lancashire have received grants under Phase 2. Further details regarding applications from Lancashire have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	(iii) 1,093 projects within the United Kingdom have received grants.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Community Relations: Finance

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to page 92 of the report, The United Kingdom's Strategy for Countering International Terrorism, published in March 2009, how much was spent on the programme of foreign policy outreach to domestic Muslim communities in 2008-09; how much is expected to be spent in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11; which communities he visited in 2008-09; which communities he plans to visit in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11; how those communities were selected; which topics will be discussed; how the success of the programme will be evaluated; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We have a programme of outreach to Muslim communities around the UK by Ministers and senior officials to engage on foreign policy issues and challenge extremists' distortions of British foreign policy. Engaging with communities also helps tackle misconceptions about UK foreign policy and undermines the extremist narrative. Violent extremists use misconceptions about foreign policy as a way to radicalise vulnerable young people in the UK.
	The cost of foreign policy outreach events to British Muslim communities undertaken by Ministers and Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials during FY 2008-09 was 85,000. During the past year my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary personally visited the following areas:
	28 MayTower Hamlets
	25 JulyBirmingham
	8 SeptemberBirmingham
	21 NovemberBradford
	22 JanuaryManchester
	16 AprilGlasgow
	We expect that outreach activity during FY 2009-10 will incur roughly similar costs to the previous year. Funding for FY 2010-11 is yet to be allocated. Visits are evaluated through feedback from participants and local authorities as well as by monitoring wider dissemination of information about the events through press coverage and blogs. Locations for visits over the coming year are yet to be decided but we intend to include areas with substantial Muslim and diaspora communities. The topics likely to be covered at these events will be foreign policy issues of concern to Muslim communities.

Cyprus: Property

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many representations he has received from British citizens on legal difficulties incurred when buying property in Cyprus in the last two years; and what recent discussions he has had with the government of Cyprus on the matter.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 23 April 2009
	The Government are aware of the concern of a number of British citizens regarding legal difficulties incurred when buying property in Cyprus. Our high commissioner in Cyprus recently raised this issue with the Republic of Cyprus Ministry of the Interior. We recognise that this has the potential to affect a large number of British citizens who have purchased property in Cyprus, and will continue to take a close interest in the measures by which the Cypriot government attempt to resolve this problem.

Japan: Burma

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the government of Japan on the forthcoming elections in Burma planned for 2010, with particular reference to the government of Japan's provision of technical training to election officials.

Bill Rammell: We have been in contact with our Japanese colleagues regarding the 2010 elections in Burma. We have raised our concerns that the elections look set to be neither free nor fair. The Japanese authorities recognise these concerns, but argue that the elections themselves represent progress and that the international community should be working within its framework if possible.
	We are not aware of any plans by the Japanese government to train election officials.

HEALTH

Burns: Greater Manchester

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many serious burn case patients from outside Greater Manchester were treated at the burn unit in Manchester in each year since 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 20 April 2009
	Information on the number of severe/complex burn cases from outside Greater Manchester that were treated at the burn unit in Manchester in each year since 2003 is given in the following table.
	
		
			  The number of severe/complex burn cases from outside Greater Manchester that were treated in Manchester in each year since 200 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  Total 
			 Paediatrics treated cases with residence from outside Greater Manchester 4 3 4 4 7 9 31 
			 Adults treated cases with residence from outside Greater Manchester 1 2 0 9 4 4 20 
			 Uncoded data(1) 1  1 
			 Total 6 5 4 13 11 13 52 
			 (1) It was not clear whether the case was paediatric or adult.  Source: The National Burn Injury Database (data do not include readmissions)

Contraceptives: Finance

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1457-8W, on contraceptives: finance, by what means primary care trusts were informed of the additional 12.8 million contraception funding.

Dawn Primarolo: The 2008-09 primary care trust (PCT) revenue allocations were announced on 13 December 2007, and these overall allocations included 12.8 million new funding for contraceptive services. In addition a statement published on 27 June 2008 in The Week (the NHS Chief Executive's Bulletin for senior National Health Service managers), which accompanied the release of the 2007 abortion data, reminded PCTs that they had received this additional funding as part of their allocations for 2008-09.

Dental Services

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which organisations and individuals were consulted on the content of the dental services statement of financial entitlement before its publication on 1 April 2009; and which of these consultations took place in accordance with section 103(4) of the National Health Service Act 2006;
	(2)  with reference to section 103(4) of the National Health Service Act 2006, which bodies appear to him to be representative of persons to whose remuneration a directive made under section 103(1) of that Act would relate.

Ann Keen: Section 103(4) of The National Health Service Act 2006 provides that the Secretary of State, before making any direction as to payments to be made under a general dental services contract, must consult any body that appears to be representative of those whose remuneration is affected by the direction and may consult other persons as he considers appropriate.
	In accordance with this legislation, the British Dental Association, the Dental Key Stakeholder Group, Dental Practitioners' Association, British Orthodontic Society and Conference of Local Dental Committees were consulted on the Statement of Financial Entitlements 2009.

Epilepsy: Waiting Lists

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets his Department has set for maximum waiting times between referral of patients with suspected epilepsy to an epilepsy specialist and the appointment with the specialist; and how many appointments met this target in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The Department has not set specific waiting time targets for referral of patients with suspected epilepsy.

Eyesight: Testing

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners have received free eye tests since the introduction of the policy.

Ann Keen: From 1 April 1999, eligibility for an NHS sight test was extended to everyone aged 60 or over.
	The following tables show the number of NHS sight tests, by patient eligibility, in England between 1996-97 and 2007-08.
	Patients aged 60 and over may qualify for an NHS sight test on more than one criterion (i.e. age, low income or having glaucoma or diabetes). However, they would only be recorded against one criterion on the form. Patients are more likely to be recorded according to their clinical need rather than their age. For example, a patient aged over 60 with glaucoma is likely to be recorded in the glaucoma category only. For these reasons the count by eligibility is therefore approximate. Patients may also have had more than one sight test over the 10-year period.
	In 2007-08, over 11 million NHS sight tests were provided in total, an increase of 58 per cent. compared to the total of seven million sight tests in 1998-99, the last year before eligibility was extended to everyone aged 60 and over.
	
		
			  NHS sight tests, by patient eligibility, in England, as at the specified financial years 
			   1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02 
			 Aged 60 and over 0 0 0 3,301,412 3,753,315 4,012,946 
			 Children 0-15 2,353,696 2,385,520 2,458,944 2,425,666 2,404,037 2,374,943 
			 Students 16-18 515,321 507,983 477,013 468,221 454,319 487,882 
			 Adults receiving income support 1,905,505 1,975,057 1,781,740 1,359,767 1,158,854 1,082,048 
			 Adults receiving tax credits 358,073 335,711 341,887 328,471 360,033 450,475 
			 Adults receiving JSA 28,983 66,068 176,562 219,654 211,827 230,050 
			 Low income certificate holders (HC2) 331,134 316,700 301,784 226,694 189,899 164,262 
			 Registered blind/partially sighted 36,380 40,810 40,914 21,783 19,604 18,948 
			 Diabetics/Glaucoma sufferers 604,841 644,345 685,107 469,375 451,601 432,819 
			 Need complex lenses 84,409 86,276 80,498 66,029 67,462 61,129 
			 Close relatives 40 and over of Glaucoma sufferers 589,347 632,740 647,857 512,341 496,182 491,898 
			 Unallocated 22 45 28 0 0 0 
			 Total 6,807,711 6,991,255 6,992,334 9,399,416 9,567,135 9,807,403 
		
	
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Aged 60 and over 4,135,615 4,308,889 4,303,128 4,450,007 4,518,672 4,860,912 
			 Children 0-15 2,284,368 2,236,329 2,206,853 2,168,542 2,113,479 2,299,159 
			 Students 16-18 468,735 456,614 463,568 467,487 490,762 507,918 
			 Adults receiving income support 963,281 953,325 1,091,019 1,085,424 1,170,055 1,119,650 
			 Adults receiving tax credits 412,478 474,541 528,409 538,779 569,833 660,736 
			 Adults receiving JSA 207,703 201,487 195,783 218,689 236,126 225,782 
			 Low income certificate holders (HC2) 166,784 149,033 152,534 142,796 133,580 127,542 
			 Registered blind/partially sighted 17,850 19,834 22,227 22,304 28,431 18,764 
			 Diabetics/Glaucoma sufferers 448,147 474,385 589,465 646,628 597,773 591,954 
			 Need complex lenses 66,268 71,418 72,312 70,295 86,816 82,476 
			 Close relatives 40 and over of Glaucoma sufferers 490,820 499,404 523,680 543,605 539,345 552,997 
			 Unallocated 0 0 0 122 50 0 
			 Total 9,662,052 9,845,259 10,148,978 10,354,682 10,484,922 11,047,890 
			  Notes: 1. The figures for income support and tax credits have been revised for 2005-06 to reflect incorrect coding. 2. From 1 April 1999, eligibility for an NHS sight test was extended to everyone aged 60 or over. 3. Patients may qualify for an NHS sight test on more than one criterion. However, they would only be recorded against one criterion on the form. Patients are more likely to be recorded according to their clinical need rather than their age. For example, a patient aged over 60 with glaucoma is likely to be recorded in the glaucoma category only. The count by eligibility is therefore approximate. 4. Information for family credit is included within 'Adults receiving tax credits' for 1997-98 to 2002-03 and within 'Adults receiving income support' for later years. 5. Totals may not equal the sum of component parts due to rounding.  Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Health Services: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to make a decision on whether to accept the recommendations of the Independent Review Panel's report on A Picture of Health for South East London; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health is currently considering the recommendations made to him by the Independent Reconfiguration Panel. He will make a decision on A Picture of Health for South East London in due course.

NHS: Disclosure of Information

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to NHS organisations on the implementation of staff whistleblowing policies; who is responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of such policies; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has issued a 'whistleblowing in the NHS policy pack' which has been developed to provide support to organisations in developing and reviewing whistleblowing policies and procedures. NHS Employers have subsequently issued updated guidance on whistleblowing policy within the national health service and this can be found on their website. The implementation and evaluation of whistleblowing policies is a matter for local employing organisations.

Prescription Drugs: Internet

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to restrict the trade in pharmaceutical products from abroad purchased over the internet which could present risks to the health of individuals.

Dawn Primarolo: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) actively monitors the availability of medicines being offered on-line using specialist equipment and resources focused on identifying websites operating within the United Kingdom. Robust action is taken when illegal activity is detected.
	Several initiatives are underway to communicate risks posed by on-line supply of medicines to consumers and potential customers, both by MHRA acting as regulator, or in conjunction with relevant organisations such as the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. These include national advertising campaigns with Industry and patient groups to raise awareness and specific articles targeting magazines focussing on slimming and men's health issues. Internet auction sites are also used as a means of communicating perceived risk.
	Information on buying medicines on line is also available through the MHRA website at:
	www.mhra.gov.uk/Safetyinformation/Generalsafetyinformationandadvice/Adviceandinformationforconsumers/BuyingmedicinesovertheInternet/CON019610

Sickle Cell Diseases: Greater London

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with sickle cell disease in each London health trust area in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected by the Department. A National Haemoglobinopathy Registry sponsored by the Department was launched in March to provide basic details on the distribution, causes of death, diagnosis and numbers with red cell disorders such as sickle cell disease and thalassaemia in the United Kingdom. These data are currently anonymised. Any disclosure will be subject to agreement by patients and individual trusts.

Sleeping Pills

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many prescriptions for sleeping tablets were dispensed to people aged  (a) under 18,  (b) between 18 and 25,  (c) between 50 and 64 and  (d) over 64 years in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many prescriptions for sleeping tablets were dispensed in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the age of patients is not collected when prescription items are dispensed. The number of prescription items to treat insomnia, as listed in paragraph 4.1.1 of the British National Formulary as 'Hypnotics', written in the United Kingdom and dispensed in the community in England, by calendar year, is given as follows.
	
		
			   Number of  i tems (thousand) 
			 2004 10,474.6 
			 2005 10,016.5 
			 2006 9,868.1 
			 2007 9,998.4 
			 2008 10,031.2 
			  Source:  Prescription Cost Analysis

Vaccination: Side Effects

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many adverse reaction reports for routine vaccinations there have been in each year since 1985.

Dawn Primarolo: The table lists the numbers of reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to routine vaccines submitted to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) via the Yellow Card Scheme between 1 January 1985 and 31 December 2008. It should be noted that during this time many millions of children and adults have been immunised with these vaccines.
	It is very important to note that the report of a suspected ADR via the Yellow Card Scheme and inclusion in this list does not necessarily mean that the adverse reaction was caused by the vaccine. Yellow Card reports are suspicions that a vaccine or medicine may have caused an adverse reaction and are not proof of a causal association.
	Data from the Yellow Card Scheme are continually reviewed to identify new safely issues with medicines and vaccines, and where issues are identified appropriate action is taken to protect public health.
	
		
			  Year of receipt  Number of reports 
			 1985 398 
			 1986 558 
			 1987 394 
			 1988 659 
			 1989 1,419 
			 1990 907 
			 1991 811 
			 1992 1,204 
			 1993 2,100 
			 1994 1,889 
			 1995 1,339 
			 1996 1,125 
			 1997 1,014 
			 1998 1,031 
			 1999 2,466 
			 2000 13,066 
			 2001 1,392 
			 2002 1,343 
			 2003 2,112 
			 2004 1,720 
			 2005 1,880 
			 2006 1,318 
			 2007 1,162 
			 2008 2,293

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum: Housing

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many houses rented under the National Asylum Support Service scheme did not have anyone living in them on 1 January 2009.

Phil Woolas: There were no unoccupied houses for which the UK Border Agency was making payment for on 1 January 2009.

Asylum: Parents

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are made to provide childcare for women with children seeking asylum at the time of their first interview with the authorities.

Phil Woolas: Each UKBA Region has its own arrangements in place to ensure that every effort is made to ensure that children are not present when parents are interviewed about their reasons for seeking asylum. Arrangements can include rescheduling the asylum interview date to accommodate childcare arrangements, or provide childcare provision at or near UKBA premises where this is safe and sensible.
	Where suitable alternative arrangements have proved impossible the asylum interview will go ahead with the child present. In these cases, the case owner will offer sufficient breaks and will fully note any disruptions on the interview record.

British Nationality

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been registered as British citizens in each English local authority area since 2005.

Phil Woolas: The available information is shown in Annex A.
	The data show the number of registrations as a British citizen. This is broken down by the local authority which was responsible for performing the Citizenship Ceremony for those applicants over 18, who were successful in their application for British citizenship.
	We are unable to provide a similar analysis for applicants under 18 years of age and these applications are shown as Unknown. This total relates to all areas of the UK and not just England. These are applications from minors who apply direct to the Home Office, not in conjunction with a parental application. Minors are not required to attend Citizenship Ceremonies and consequently the information is not collated by local authority and could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
	The information has been provided from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such, it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.
	
		
			  People registered as British citizens by central points 2005-08 
			  Country  Central point  2005  2006  2007  2008  Total 
			  Grand total 41,505 42,055 39,845 29,950 153,355 
			
			 England Barking and Dagenham 705 565 520 265 2,055 
			 England Barnet 980 780 740 475 2,975 
			 England Barnsley MBC 15 15 15 25 70 
			 England Bath and North East Somerset 20 25 45 20 110 
			 England Bedfordshire 195 165 190 85 635 
			 England Bexley 175 180 160 105 620 
			 England Birmingham 675 920 1,000 800 3,395 
			 England Blackburn and Darwen 35 80 55 20 190 
			 England Blackpool 20 20 60 30 130 
			 England Bolton 85 95 140 110 430 
			 England Borough of Sutton (London) 195 200 230 95 720 
			 England Borough of Telford and Wrekin 15 20 15 25 75 
			 England Bournemouth 45 45 65 35 190 
			 England Bracknell Forest 65 75 80 70 290 
			 England Brent 1,400 1,105 1,125 575 4,205 
			 England Brighton and Hove 115 110 95 70 390 
			 England Bristol 170 360 285 300 1,115 
			 England Bromley 195 220 195 105 715 
			 England Buckinghamshire 180 195 190 100 665 
			 England Bury 25 25 60 25 135 
			 England Calderdale 20 20 25 20 85 
			 England Cambridgeshire 125 225 250 130 730 
			 England Camden 410 495 410 245 1,560 
			 England Cheshire 60 105 85 70 320 
			 England City of Bradford 90 155 145 140 530 
			 England City of York 45 25 30 30 130 
			 England Cornwall 20 35 30 15 100 
			 England Corporation of the City of London 20 20 20 10 70 
			 England Coventry 225 345 360 240 1,170 
			 England Croydon 715 595 660 320 2,290 
			 England Cumbria 35 10 45 35 125 
			 England Darlington 5 15 15 15 50 
			 England Derby City 90 135 110 100 435 
			 England Derbyshire 25 40 40 25 130 
			 England Devon 45 40 50 25 160 
			 England Doncaster 35 65 65 60 225 
			 England Dorset 30 30 35 25 120 
			 England Dudley 20 65 85 70 240 
			 England Durham County Council 30 20 25 15 90 
			 England Ealing 1,170 985 1,130 580 3,865 
			 England East Riding of Yorkshire 15 30 35 15 95 
			 England East Sussex 145 125 140 110 520 
			 England Enfield 1,275 1,145 855 700 3,975 
			 England Essex 285 340 370 250 1,245 
			 England Gateshead 45 55 45 25 170 
			 England Gloucestershire 85 75 105 75 340 
			 England Greenwich 575 525 390 280 1,770 
			 England Hackney 840 760 555 345 2,500 
			 England Halton 5 5 10 5 25 
			 England Hammersmith and Fulham 420 465 400 200 1,485 
			 England Hampshire 260 30 365 210 865 
			 England Haringey 1,240 980 720 475 3,415 
			 England Harrow 990 685 705 335 2,715 
			 England Hartlepool 5 5 25 5 40 
			 England Havering 135 155 125 55 470 
			 England Herefordshire Council 5 10 10 15 40 
			 England Hertfordshire 500 570 520 310 1,900 
			 England Hillingdon 500 510 535 260 1,805 
			 England Hounslow 805 610 775 365 2,555 
			 England Isle of Man * 10 5 5 20 
			 England Isle of Wight 5 10 20 20 55 
			 England Islington 595 440 405 235 1,675 
			 England Kensington and Chelsea 355 275 245 125 1,000 
			 England Kent 355 470 470 270 1,565 
			 England Kingston-upon-Hull 35 65 60 50 210 
			 England Kingston upon Thames 245 230 310 130 915 
			 England Kirklees 75 105 80 100 360 
			 England Knowsley 5 10 20 15 50 
			 England Lambeth 805 720 605 380 2,510 
			 England Lancashire 115 150 145 100 510 
			 England Leeds City 195 300 375 285 1,155 
			 England Leicester City 555 510 505 415 1,985 
			 England Leicestershire 95 130 110 60 395 
			 England Lewisham 650 510 545 315 2,020 
			 England Lincolnshire 75 70 75 55 275 
			 England Liverpool 180 210 280 200 870 
			 England Luton 255 190 210 150 805 
			 England Manchester 605 760 695 630 2,690 
			 England Medway 80 75 100 60 315 
			 England Merton 410 390 435 195 1,430 
			 England Middlesbrough Council 30 55 50 35 170 
			 England Milton Keynes 255 300 285 140 980 
			 England Newcastle upon Tyne 120 175 180 115 590 
			 England Newham 1,330 1,095 865 530 3,820 
			 England Norfolk 95 140 185 115 535 
			 England Northamptonshire 250 290 265 175 980 
			 England North East Lincolnshire 25 20 30 15 90 
			 England North Lincolnshire 15 10 15 20 60 
			 England North Somerset 20 25 20 15 80 
			 England North Tyneside 35 50 45 15 145 
			 England Northumberland 10 30 15 15 70 
			 England North Yorkshire 55 80 50 35 220 
			 England Nottingham City 75 160 255 185 675 
			 England Nottinghamshire County Council 80 85 95 45 305 
			 England Oldham 75 75 35 55 240 
			 England Oxfordshire 270 270 340 160 1,040 
			 England Peterborough 75 90 135 75 375 
			 England Plymouth 35 35 55 55 180 
			 England Poole 25 30 40 15 110 
			 England Portsmouth 55 95 130 75 355 
			 England Reading 195 205 135 110 645 
			 England Redbridge 745 590 650 290 2,275 
			 England Redcar and Cleveland 10 10 10 5 35 
			 England Richmond upon Thames 225 180 175 125 705 
			 England Rochdale 40 50 60 70 220 
			 England Rotherham 30 50 60 50 190 
			 England Rutland County Council * 5 0 0 5 
			 England Salford 45 95 60 90 290 
			 England Sandwell 25 155 225 145 550 
			 England Sefton 20 30 20 15 85 
			 England Sheffield City 265 370 310 305 1,250 
			 England Shropshire 15 20 30 20 85 
			 England Slough 325 250 280 150 1,005 
			 England Solihull MBC 55 50 55 35 195 
			 England Somerset 45 35 65 25 170 
			 England Southampton 85 135 150 90 460 
			 England Southend-on-Sea 85 65 90 60 300 
			 England South Gloucestershire 50 65 70 30 215 
			 England South Tyneside 15 25 15 15 70 
			 England Southwark 755 630 575 375 2,335 
			 England Staffordshire 70 60 70 75 275 
			 England St. Helens 10 15 25 25 75 
			 England Stockport 75 100 85 45 305 
			 England Stockton-on-Tees 25 30 40 40 135 
			 England Stoke-on-Trent 35 70 95 80 280 
			 England Suffolk 110 130 140 115 495 
			 England Sunderland 25 70 50 10 155 
			 England Surrey 505 555 555 305 1,920 
			 England Swindon 75 100 85 45 305 
			 England Tameside 30 25 40 35 130 
			 England Thurrock 110 90 85 45 330 
			 England Torbay 5 20 10 40  
			 England Tower Hamlets 275 260 235 175 945 
			 England Trafford 105 125 165 80 475 
			 England Wakefield 40 50 65 40 195 
			 England Walsall 45 65 100 70 280 
			 England Waltham Forest 735 625 570 340 2,270 
			 England Wandsworth 540 515 585 365 2,005 
			 England Warrington 35 35 35 25 130 
			 England Warwickshire 75 65 80 60 280 
			 England West Berkshire District Council 15 65 50 30 160 
			 England Westminster 680 510 450 260 1,900 
			 England West Sussex 195 240 215 155 805 
			 England Wigan 10 45 50 35 140 
			 England Wiltshire 40 55 55 40 190 
			 England Windsor and Maidenhead 90 90 55 45 280 
			 England Wirral 25 40 80 20 165 
			 England Wokingham 65 90 70 60 285 
			 England Wolverhampton 60 110 160 125 455 
			 England Worcestershire 35 45 75 55 210 
			 None Unknown 9,060 10,315 8,075 9,910 37,360 
			 * = Negligible i.e. 2 or less.  Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5. 2. Those shown as Unknown will be a mixture of all of the areas, not just England. 3. Figures have been provided by using the Central point that each local authority maps to for the performance of the Citizenship Ceremony.  Source: Local Management Information

Crimes of Violence: Licensed Premises

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many assaults on licensees were reported to the police in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many cases of assaults on licensees were taken to court in each of the last five years; and how many custodial sentences were imposed following convictions in such cases;
	(3)  how many assaults on licensees resulted in a caution for the attacker in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 23 April 2009
	 The Home Office does not collect data centrally on the number of assaults on licensees.
	Information held on the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database does not include the employment status of persons assaulted as the database purely focuses on the persons proceeded against at court and not the victims of any offences. Only in certain rare instances can some of the victim details be gleaned from the wording of the statute involved.
	This does not apply for assaults and neither is there a separate statute offence for assaults on licensees.
	The issue of assaults on licensees has been raised with the Home Office by National Pubwatch. The Home Office is looking into this matter and a meeting has been arranged with the Chair of National Pubwatch to discuss the matter further.

Cybercrime

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were employed in the e-crime department of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency in April 2006; and how many people are now so employed.

Alan Campbell: In April 2006 50 staff, employed previously by the National High Tech Crime Unit, were absorbed into the Serious Organised Crime Agency. At that point the work of the High Tech Crime Unit was divided between SOCA's e-crime department and the Child Exploitation and On-line Protection Centre (CEOP).
	In April 2009, 38 staff were directly employed in the SOCA e-crime department, with other staff employed by CEOP working on offences of alleged child abuse where technology may be a factor.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to address the effect on levels of carbon dioxide emissions from her Department of its ICT purchases since the publication of the Greening Government ICT Strategy; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: As already reported to the Cabinet Office in the CIO Green ICT roadmap, for Home Office core and UKBA we are currently analysing, planning and implementing (where appropriate) the actions laid out in the strategy. Our main ICT suppliers are required to provide low power consumption devices. We have initiated projects to configure our workstations to automatically power down after hours, to virtualise a significant proportion of our server estate and to implement thin client technology. We have reduced the amount of ICT devices and we are extending smart working which will also contribute to reduce the amount of ICT equipment on the estate.

Foreign Workers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has she made of the effects on the economy of migrant labour; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: We know that migration has made a huge contribution to the economy and the Treasury estimated that in 2006, new migrants added around 6 billion to the economy. Even during the recession migration continues to play an important role in the UK but there needs to be a balance and we are giving greater support to domestic workers so that we can all come through the recession stronger.

Members: Correspondence

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight of 5 December 2008 on protection of the personal details of a constituent, in respect of which the hon. Member has written to her on 9 January, 24 February and 27 March 2009.

Phil Woolas: Inquiries from my officials have established that the letter referred to in the Question is about settlement in the UK for former Gurkhas who retired before July 1997.
	In September 2008, the High Court agreed that the 1997 cut-off date applied to retired Gurkhas was sound and not discriminatory. However, it did find that the policy guidance relating to the treatment of Gurkhas discharged before 1997 was not sufficiently clear and did not cover service-related factors. We are determined to get the revised guidance right to ensure that it is fair to all Gurkhas and this has involved consultation across Government.
	The revised guidance for Gurkhas who retired before July 1997 and who wish to seek settlement in the UK will be published by 24 April. We want to give Members the fullest possible information and we therefore plan to write to them on or soon after that date with an explanation of our revised guidance.

Racial Hatred

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 2 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1315W, on Anti-Semitism: publications, how much racially inflammatory material that could be perceived as potential incitement to the committing of hate-related crime has been reported to the police for evaluation and assessment in the last six months; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: This information is not available. Data on such activity are collected by police forces at the point of report but are not collated.

Repatriation

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on the Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme in 2007.

Phil Woolas: This information is currently not available as the cost of the 2007 Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP) is subject to audit.
	The UK Border Agency audit of this data will be completed within the next month.

Telecommunications: Databases

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1642W, on telecommunications: databases, from which budgets the Interception Modernisation Programme will be funded.

Vernon Coaker: The Interception Modernisation Programme is a cross-Government programme, funded by the Home Office.

Vandalism: Arrests

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests there have been for offences relating to acts of vandalism in  (a) West Chelmsford constituency,  (b) Essex and  (c) England in each year since 2000.

Alan Campbell: Available information on arrests for criminal damage offences (which include vandalism) in Essex police force area and England are provided in the table.
	The data on arrests held by the Home Office are reported at police force area level only therefore information on arrests in West Chelmsford is not available.
	
		
			  Number of persons of all ages arrested for criminal damage, 2000-01 to 2006-07 
			   Police force area 
			   Essex  England 
			 2000-01 3,433 124,002 
			 2001-02 3,347 122,934 
			 2002-03 3,254 114,141 
			 2003-04 3,801 134,378 
			 2004-05 3,750 147,746 
			 2005-06 3,479 156,549 
			 2006-07 3,609 155,831

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Members: E-mail

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1211-2W, on hon. Members: email, if the Commission will make the House's remote access software compatible with Pretty Good Privacy software in order to enable hon. Members to communicate with constituents securely.

Nick Harvey: PICT's encryption services do not cover Members' emails once they have left the parliamentary network. Members' ability to install their own email encryption software was covered in the answer referred to above.

Members: E-mail

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1211-2W, on hon. Members: email, for what technical reasons the remote access software is incompatible with the Pretty Good Privacy cryptography application.

Nick Harvey: PICT was advised by Pretty Good Privacy Corporation that their product was not compatible with the versions of VPN software in use by Parliament.

Members: E-mail

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1211-2W, on hon. Members: email, what the encryption software identified during the PICT assessment that may be installed on PICT-owned personal computers at no cost to hon. Members is; and what the technical encryption standard of such software is.

Nick Harvey: Following industry practice and as a policy PICT does not disclose information about the security products in use within Parliament.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Adult Education

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) men and  (b) women there were on adult learner places funded by the Learning and Skills Council in each year since 2004-05.

Si�n Simon: The table shows the number of male and female adult learners that were participating in further education and skills funded by the Learning and Skills Council, between 2004/05 and 2007/08.
	
		
			  Male and female adult participation (aged 19+) in LSC-funded further education and skills 
			   Full  year (final)  Full year (provisional) 
			   2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			 Male 1,664,100 1,427,300 1,192,900 1,288,700 
			 Female 2,855,700 2,428,000 1,984,400 1,989,600 
			 Total learners 4,519,800 3,855,300 3,177,300 3,278,400 
			  Notes: 1. Volumes are rounded to the nearest hundred, and may not sum to totals. 2. Age is based on age at the start of the academic year. 3. Learner volumes are used as a measure for comparative purposes. Full-year numbers are a count of the number of learners that participated at any point during the year. Learners are included only once for each programme they are involved in. For example, if a learner is undertaking two A-levels at an FE college, they will be counted only once. If a learner undertakes an apprenticeship and a Train to Gain qualification in the same year, then they will be counted twice in this table.  Source: Further Education, Work Based Learning, Adult Community Learning, University for Industry, Train to Gain ILR 
		
	
	Over the past few years the Government have prioritised investment in adult skills towards those courses that best provide individuals with the skills to enter into sustained employment and progress into further learning. This strategy has paid dividends with record levels of adults participating in Skills for Life (Numeracy and Literacy), Full Level 2 and Full Level 3 qualifications.

Adult Education: Finance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what plans his Department has for the funding of the foundation learning tier for learners aged  (a) 16 to 19,  (b) 19 to 25 and  (c) over 25 years with learning difficulties or disabilities.

Si�n Simon: As part of the 14 to 19 education and adult skills reforms, we are developing the Foundation Learning Tier (FLT) to create a more coherent set of entry level and level 1 qualifications for both young people and adults. By 2010/11 we expect the majority of foundation learning to be offered through the FLT in all settings. There will be a focus on employability throughout the FLT, supporting independent living where possible, which is vital for those with LDD.
	Planned investment for adults aged 19 or over (including those aged 25 or over) undertaking FLT activity is estimated at around 230 million each year for 2008-09 and 2009-10 (Grant Letter to Learning and Skills Council (LSC), November 2008). The exact amount spent on adults through the FLT will depend on demand; however the funding is not separated out within this age group.
	Funding for 16 to 18-year-olds is allocated in line with the expected route of learning, for example schools, further education colleges, work-based learning and specialist colleges for those with LDD. This provides support for all 16-18 year olds across a range of levels including accessing learning within the FLT, although there is no separate budget identified for this activity within the Grant Letter to the LSC.

Apprentices: Management

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people in each  (a) age group and  (b) region and of each (i) sex and (ii) ethnic group (A) started and (B) completed apprenticeships in management in each of the last five years.

Si�n Simon: Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4 show the number of apprenticeship and advanced apprenticeship starts and achievements in management related frameworks (Business Administration and Management) in the last five years, broken down by age, gender, ethnicity and region, respectively. Copies of these tables have been provided and the relevant data will be placed in the Library.
	The Government are committed to rebuilding apprenticeships. Since 1997 we have witnessed a renaissance in apprenticeships from a low point of 65,000 to a record 225,000 apprenticeship starts in 2007-08. Completion rates are also at a record high with 64 per cent. successfully completing an apprenticeshipup from 37 per cent. in 2004-05.

Apprentices: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people resident in  (a) Tamworth constituency and  (b) Staffordshire were on (i) apprenticeships and (ii) advanced apprenticeships in each of the last five years.

Si�n Simon: Table 1 shows apprenticeship and advanced apprenticeship starts in Tamworth parliamentary constituency and Staffordshire local authority in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Table 1: Apprenticeship starts in Tamworth and Staffordshire, 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  Tamworth parliamentary constituency  
			 Apprenticeship 310 370 320 270 290 
			 Advanced apprenticeship 80 120 100 130 170 
			 Total 390 490 420 400 450 
			   
			  Staffordshire local authority  
			 Apprenticeship 2,800 2,900 2,700 2,400 2,900 
			 Advanced apprenticeship 1,000 1,100 1,200 1,200 1,600 
			 Total 3,800 4,000 3,800 3,600 4,500 
			   
			  All apprenticeships  
			 Apprenticeship 136,600 135,100 122,800 127,400 151,800 
			 Advanced apprenticeship 57,000 53,900 52,100 57,000 73,000 
			 Total 193,600 189,000 175,000 184,400 224,800 
			  Notes: 1. Parliamentary constituency figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. All other figures are rounded to the nearest 100.  2. Parliamentary constituency and local authority are based on the home postcode of the learner.  3. From 2006-07, there are a small number of higher level apprenticeships included in the advanced apprenticeship total.  4. Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding.   Source:  Work Based Learning ILR. 
		
	
	The Government are committed to rebuilding apprenticeships. Since 1997 we have witnessed a renaissance in apprenticeships from a low point of 65,000 to a record 225,000 apprenticeship starts in 2007-08. Completion rates are also at a record high with 64 per cent. successfully completing an apprenticeshipup from 37 per cent. in 2004-05.

Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the costs to his Department incurred as a result of the Public Bill Committee on the Apprenticeship, Skills, Children and Learning Bill sitting beyond 6.30 pm on 26 March 2009.

Si�n Simon: The total estimated cost to the Department was 203.15 which was required to cover additional travel expenses.

Building Colleges for the Future Programme

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the likely effects on educational provision of the freezing of the further education capital programme; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: Sir Andrew Foster published his review of the capital programme in further education on 1 April and we have accepted all of his recommendations in full, one of which is the necessity to move to a needs-based approach. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is currently consulting with the sector on a needs-based criterion which will be used in prioritising future schemes. Announcements will be made once this work is completed.
	Geoffrey Russell, the acting LSC chief executive, has appointed an external team of property advisers to ensure that the information held by the LSC on individual projects is accurate, comprehensive and a sound basis for taking future decisions.

Building Colleges for the Future Programme: Birmingham

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which building projects in the Birmingham area have been affected by the funding difficulties which have arisen under the Building Colleges for the Future programme; and how much funding has been committed to such projects which have been halted.

Si�n Simon: Capital funding for Further Education colleges is administered by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). As the information requested pertains to records held by the council, I have asked Geoffrey Russell, the acting LSC chief executive, to write to the hon. Member with the further information requested. A copy of his letter will be placed in the House Libraries.

Further Education

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when he expects the panel of college principals, as recommended by the Foster Review of the role of further education colleges, to be established; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: The panel of college principals is being established with the support of the Association of Colleges and they will convene for the first time on 29 April.
	The panel will consider the criteria to be used for the prioritisation of projects, as well as the process for applying these criteria.

Higher Education: Birmingham

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what proportion of  (a) males and  (b) females of between 18 and 21 years were in (i) education, (ii) employment and (iii) training in the Birmingham area in each of the last three years.

Si�n Simon: The following table shows the number of people in Birmingham in education, employment and training from 2005 to 2007 for 16 to 24-year(1)-olds. These estimates are taken from the Annual Population Survey, for which 2008 data are not yet available. We are unable to break down these estimates into a smaller age band, or by gender as the sample sizes for such are too small to give reliable estimates.
	(1) Age used is academic age, the respondent's age at the preceding 31 August.
	
		
			  16 to 24-year-olds in education, employment and training in Birmingham 
			   Number  Percentage 
			   2005  2006  2007  2005  2006  2007 
			 In employment 66,000 70,000 66,000 47 46 44 
			 In education(1) 60,000 72,000 66,000 43 47 44 
			 In training 12,000 14,000 17,000 9 9 11 
			 Not in employment, education or training 30,000 30,000 30,000 22 19 20 
			 Total 16 to 24-year-olds 139,000 153,000 150,000
			 (1) Education is defined as being enrolled on an education course and either attending or waiting for term to (re)start. Training is all other learning that is not classified as education. 
		
	
	There is an overlap between these groups, as some people will for example be in employment and training. The following table gives further categories which have no overlap.
	
		
			  16 to 24-year-olds in education, employment and training (no overlaps) 
			   Number  Percentage 
			   2005  2006  2007  2005  2006  2007 
			 In employment 66,000 70,000 66,000 47 46 44 
			 Not in employment, but in education 40,000 51,000 49,000 29 33 32 
			 Not in employment or education, but in training 3,000 3,000 5,000 2 2 3 
			 Not in employment, education or training 30,000 30,000 30,000 22 19 20 
			 Total(1) 16 to 24-year-olds 139,000 153,000 150,000 100 100 100 
			 (1) Please note numbers may not sum to totals exactly due to rounding.

Learning and Skills Council

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills who attended the Learning and Skills Council's management board meetings of  (a) 13 May 2008 and  (b) 12 June 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: The LSC Management Board is part of the LSC's own internal management structure. I have therefore asked Geoff Russell, the acting chief executive of the LSC, to write to the hon. Member with the information he has requested and a copy will be placed in the House Libraries.

Learning and Skills Council

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what financial provision the Learning and Skills Council will make for Mark Haysom upon his leaving the post of chief executive of the council; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: On 23 March 2009, the date that Mr. Haysom tendered his resignation, a statement was available on the DIUS website on this and it also announced the appointment of Geoffrey Russell as acting chief executive of the Learning and Skills Council.
	The terms of Mr. Haysom's resignation are a matter for the Learning and Skills Council, and I have asked Geoff Russell to write to the hon. Member with the appropriate information.

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of the negative inflation figure for the retail prices index in March 2009 on people with outstanding student loans who took them out  (a) prior to and  (b) since 1998.

David Lammy: The retail price index (RPI) for March is -0.4 per cent. I am considering any implications this might have for the repayment of student loans, particularly for the rate of interest to be applied, and will make an announcement in due course. Interest rates are normally adjusted annually, each September.
	For borrowers repaying income contingent loans, which have been available since 1998, the rate of interest makes no difference to the level of their monthly repayments. Borrowers repay 9 per cent. of their earnings over the income threshold of 15,000.

JUSTICE

Antisocial Behaviour: Fixed Penalties

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in the Lancashire police authority area have been issued with penalty notices for disorder in each of the last three years, broken down by type of offence; and how many fines associated with notices remain unpaid.

Jack Straw: The number of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) issued to persons aged 16 and over in the Lancashire police force area, by type of offence and those which were not paid from 2004 to 2007 (latest available) can be found in tables 1 to 3.
	Under the PND scheme, recipients have 21 days in which to pay the penalty or request a court hearing. 21 days is the minimum period before forces can register a fine for not responding to a notice. If no action is taken, a fine of one and half times the penalty amount is registered by the courts. Fines for non-payment of PNDs are treated by the courts in the same way as any other unpaid fine. It is not possible to separately identify the payment rate of fines arising from unpaid PNDs, but the latest enforcement rate for all fines, including those from unpaid PNDs, is 85.2 per cent. for the period April-December 2008.
	PNDs were implemented in all 43 forces in England and Wales in 2004.
	PND data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  Table 1:  N umber of Penalty Notices for Disorder issued to persons aged 16 and over in the Lancashire police force area, by offence, 2005 - 07( 1) 
			   80 ticket offences 
			DA01  DA02  DA3  DA4  DA5  DA6  DA11  DA12 
			   Total 80 tickets issued  Wasting police time  Misuse of public telecoms system  Giving false alarm to fire and rescue authority  Causing harassment, alarm or distress  Throwing fireworks  Drunk and disorderly  Criminal damage (under 500  Theft (retail under 200) 
			 2005 10,013 202 21 14 2,491 25 4,651 190 20 
			 2006 12,192 255 55 12 3,038 24 4,889 1,394 2,259 
			 2007 12,696 288 84 13 2,175 25 5,864 1,340 2,642 
		
	
	
		
			   DA13  DA14  DA15  DA16  DA17  DA18  DA19  DA20  DA21 
			   Breach of fireworks curfew  Possession of category 4 fireworks  Possession by a person under 18 of adult firework  Sale of alcohol to drunken person  Supply of alcohol to person under 18  Sale of alcohol to person under 18  Purchase alcohol for person under 18  Purchase alcohol for person under 18 for consumption on premises  Delivery of alcohol to person under 18 or allowing such delivery 
			 2005 4 15 822 1,546 2 1 5 4  
			 2006 7  2 4  206 24 3 20 
			 2007 1 2 6 6 1 190 28 2 29 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and Analysis unit. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2:  N umber of Penalty Notices for Disorder issued to persons aged 16 and over in the Lancashire police force area, by offence, 2005 to 2007( 1) 
			50 ticket offences 
			DB13  DAB04  DB5  DB7  DB8  DB12  DB13  DB14 
			   Total 50 tickets issued  Trespass on a railway  Throwing stones at a train/railway  Drunk in a highway  Consumption of alcohol in public place  Depositing and leaving litter  Consumption of alcohol by under 18 on relevant premises  Allowing consumption of alcohol on relevant premises  Buying or attempting to buy alcohol by person under 18 
			 2005 209 11  105 21 61 5 3 3 
			 2006 287 7  106 86 72 7  9 
			 2007 160 4 2 34 81 33 3 1 2 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source  Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and Analysis unit. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3:  N umber of Penalty Notices for Disorder issued to persons aged 16 and over in the Lancashire police force area, by outcome, 2005 to 2007( 1) 
			   Of those paid 
			   Number issued  Total paid in full  Percentage  Paid in full within 21 days  Percentage  Paid in full outside 21 days  Percentage 
			 2005 10,222 4,733 46 3,621 35 1,112 11 
			 2006 12,479 5,631 45 4,296 34 1,335 11 
			 2007 12,856 5,819 45 4,342 34 1,477 11 
		
	
	
		
			   Other outcomes 
			   Fine registered  Percentage  Court hearing requested  Percentage  PND cancelled  Percentage  Potential prosecution  Percentage  Outcome unknown  Percentage 
			 2005 4,972 49 382 4 117 1 (2) (2) 18 0 
			 2006 6,491 52 218 2 136 1 (2) (2) 3 0 
			 2007 6,645 52 240 2 152 1 (2) (2) (2) (2) 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (2 )Nil.  Source:  Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and Analysis unit.

Bail Accommodation and Support Service

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009,  Official Report, column 982W, on bail accommodation and support services, 
	(1)  how many of the 836 service users who had their residency terminated went to court; what the outcome of the hearing was in each case where legal proceedings have been concluded; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many service users were placed in ClearSprings' properties between the introduction of the scheme and 24 March 2009; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The number reported in my answer of 30 March was 832, not 836. Of the 832, 514 were defendants on bail and 318 were offenders on Home Detention Curfew.
	Breaches leading to termination may occur as a result of failure to comply with the curfew conditions, failure to comply with other bail conditions, failure to comply with the rules applied by ClearSprings for living in houses, failure to attend contact sessions, misbehaviour, or offending and arrest by the police.
	Those who breach bail conditions are returned to court by the police but it is then for the court to decide whether the individual must be remanded in custody or can be re-bailed to a non-ClearSprings address, perhaps with other conditions. It is only possible to establish the outcomes from court records and this could be done for the 514 defendants only at disproportionate cost.
	Those who breach on Home Detention Curfew are reported to NOMS Public Protection Unit who decide whether the individual must be recalled to prison.
	From 18 June 2007 up to 24 March 2009, 1,506 defendants and 1,180 offenders were received into ClearSprings' properties.

Cities

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the next round of applications by local authorities for city status is planned to take place.

Michael Wills: There are no current plans to make further grants of city status in the near future. It is for Her Majesty the Queen to decide when a grant of city status should be made.

Constituencies

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 341-2W, on constituencies, if he will make it his policy for the independent review of legislation in relation to parliamentary boundary reviews to commence in the 2005 Parliament.

Michael Wills: It remains our intention that the current legislation in relation to the conduct of parliamentary boundary reviews will be the subject of an independent review. The arrangements for the conduct and timing of the review are still under consideration.

Debt Collection

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent guidance HM Courts Service has issued to bailiffs on  (a) accepting payment by (i) cheque and (ii) credit card and  (b) the seizure of goods in circumstances where debtors cannot make immediate payment.

Bridget Prentice: No specific guidance has been issued to bailiffs. However, in January 2009 HM Courts Service issued guidance to county courts in the South East region on taking payments by credit and debit card. Guidance has only been issued in the South East region as other regions do not yet have the ability to take payments by credit or debit card in the county courts. No guidance has been issued on accepting payment by cheque.
	A copy of HMCS's County Court GuideImplementing credit/debit card payment facilities in the county courts has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	The only recent guidance to bailiffs on seizure of goods is contained in the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004 guidance. A copy of the redacted guidance was laid in the Libraries of the House in January 2009.

Debt Collection

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what records are held by which public bodies of the  (a) dates and  (b) reasons that powers of forced entry are utilised by bailiffs.

Bridget Prentice: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs hold infrequent requests, dating back 20 years, from local offices for authority to make an application to the magistrates court to force entry. There have been no instances where Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs have used the power. Since the introduction of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 records held by Her Majesty's Court Service show that the power to force entry has been used by magistrates court civilian enforcement officers 386 times. The power to force entry has been used by private bailiffs contracted to Her Majesty's Court Service on two occasions. Her Majesty's Court Service does not hold the information requested centrally and it would require extensive manual intervention to retrieve from individual court records. It would take disproportionate time and cost to gather this information.

Debt Collection

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the National Standards for Enforcement Agents were last revised.

Bridget Prentice: The National Standards for Enforcement Agents were revised in May 2002.

Debt Collection

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer to Lord Lucas of 29 January 2009,  Official Report,  House of Lords, column WA69, on bailiffs, if he will place in the Library a copy of the instructions provided to in-house civilian enforcement and private bailiff companies.

Bridget Prentice: The instructions referred to in the answer provided are contained in the document entitled Her Majesty's Court Service (Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004) Guidance to Civilian Enforcement Officers and Approved Enforcement Agents. A redacted copy of this guidance was placed in the Library of the House in January 2009.

Debt Collection

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer to Lord Lucas of 9 March 2009,  Official Report,  House of Lords, column WA194, on bailiffs, on how many of the 386 occasions forced entry powers were used by bailiffs in each local authority area; and what type of fine or penalty was being collected in each case.

Bridget Prentice: Her Majesty's Courts Service does not hold the information requested centrally and it would require extensive manual intervention to retrieve from individual court records. It would take disproportionate time and cost to gather this information.

Debt Collection

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1155W, on debt collection, what sections were redacted on health and safety grounds from his Department's guidance on the use of bailiffs' powers of forced entry under the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004.

Bridget Prentice: The redacted sections refer to the process of executing warrants and forcing entry. The Government consider that releasing the redacted parts of the guidance to civilian enforcement officers would not be in the public interest and may compromise the health and safety of HMCS staff, to whom it owes a duty of care. A copy of the redacted guidance was laid in the Library of the House in January 2009.

Debt Collection

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1155W, on debt collection, what guidance HM Courts Service has issued on the use of bailiffs' powers of peaceful entry.

Bridget Prentice: Only one set of guidance has been published by my Department, and its predecessor, on the use of civilian enforcement officers' and approved enforcement agents' powers of entry under the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, a redacted copy of which was laid in the Library of the House in January 2009.

Debt Collection

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 17 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 46-47WS, on bailiff and enforcement law, if he will bring forward proposals to repeal the primary legislation which allows for the extension of bailiffs' powers of entry and the use of force by enforcement agents.

Bridget Prentice: There are no proposals to repeal the primary legislation that allows for the extension of bailiffs' powers of entry and the use of force by enforcement agents.

Firearms: Sentencing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people aged  (a) 21 years or more and  (b) under 21 years have been convicted of possession of a firearm in each of the last five years; and what types of sentences have been imposed in such cases.

Jack Straw: Information on the number of persons aged 21 and over and aged 10 to 20 years who have been found guilty and the sentence breakdown for possession of a gun in England and Wales 2003 to 2007 is contained in the following tables.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  Table 1:  N umber of persons found guilty at all courts for offences relating to possession of a gun in England and Wales, by age group, 2003 to 2007( 1,)( )( 2,)( )( 3,)( )( 4,)( )( 5) 
			   Age group 
			   10 to 20  21 and over 
			 2003 391 787 
			 2004 505 1,088 
			 2005 628 1,407 
			 2006 594 1,357 
			 2007 695 1,427 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes the following statutes and offence descriptions: Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 16 (Group I) as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 1972 S28(2). Possession of firearm with intent to endanger life. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 16 (Group II) as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 1972 S28(2). Possession of firearm with intent to endanger life. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 16 (Group III) as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 1972 S28(2). Possession of firearm with intent to endanger life. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 17(2) (Group I) as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 1972 S28(3). Possessing firearms or imitation fire arm at time of committing or being arrested for an offence specified in schedule 1 of the Act. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 17(2) (Group II) as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 1972 S28(3). 
			 Possessing firearm or imitation firearm at time of committing or being arrested for an offence specified in schedule 1 of the Act. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 17(2) (Group III) as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 1972 S28(3). Possessing firearm or imitation firearm at time of committing or being arrested for an offence specified in schedule 1 of the Act. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 18(1) (Group I) as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 1972 S28(3). Possessing firearm or imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence or resist arrest. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 18(1) (Group II) as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 1972 S28(3). Possessing firearm or imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence or resist arrest. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 18(1) (Group III) as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 1972 S28(3). Possessing firearm or imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence or resist arrest. Firearms Act 1968 Sec 16A (as amended by Firearms (Amendment) Act 1994) Group I. Possession of a firearm or imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. Firearms Act 1968 Sec 16A (as amended by Firearms (Amendment) Act 1994) (Group II). Possession of a firearm or imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. Firearms Act 1968 Sec 16A (as amended by Firearms (Amendment) Act 1994) (Group III). Possession of a firearm or imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. Firearms Act 1968 (Group I) Sec 1(1),as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec.157, Sch.8 part III. Possessing etc firearm or ammunition without firearm certificate. Firearms Act 1968, Sec 2(1) (Group II) as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec.157 Sch.8 part III. Possessing etc shot gun without certificate. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 5(1) (Group I) as amended by Criminal Justice Act 2003 S.288. Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 19 (Group I) as amended by the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 S.37 (l)(a and c) and (2) Carrying loaded firearm in public place etc. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 19 (Group II) as amended by the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 S.37 (l) (a and c) and (2) Carrying loaded firearm in public place etc. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 21(4) (Group I) as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec.157 Sch.8 part III. Possession of firearms by persons previously convicted of crime. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 21(4) (Group II) as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec.157 Sch.8 part III. Possession of firearms by persons previously convicted of crime. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 21(4) (Group III) as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec.157 Sch.8 part III. Possession of firearms by persons previously convicted of crime. Firearms Act 1968 Sec 5(1A)(a) (Group I) as amended by Criminal Justice Act 2003 Sec.288. Possessing or distributing firearm disguised as other object. Firearms Act 1968 Sec 5(1A) (b),(c),(d)(e),(f) or (g) as amended by Criminal Justice Act 2003 Sec.288. Possessing or distributing other prohibited weapons. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 19 (Group III). Carrying loaded firearm in public place etc. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 20(1) (Group III). Trespassing with firearm in a building. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 20(2) (Group I). Trespassing with firearm on land. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 20(2) (Group II). Trespassing with firearm on land. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 20(2) (Group III). Trespassing with firearm on land. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 22(1) (Group I). Person under 17 purchasing or hiring firearm or ammunition. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 22(1) (Group II). Person under 17 purchasing or hiring firearm or ammunition. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 22(1) (Group III). Person under 17 purchasing or hiring firearm or ammunition. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 22(2) (Group I). Person under 14 having firearm or ammunition in his possession. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 22(3) (Group II). Person under 15 having with him a shot gun without adult supervision. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 22(4) (Group III). 
			 Person under 14 having with him an air weapon or ammunition. Firearms Act, 1968 Sec 22(5) (Group III). Person under 17 having with him an air weapon in a public place. (4) Some offences will cover those where a firearm or an imitation firearm were possessed. It is not possible to separately identify those that were a firearm from those that were imitation firearms as they are grouped together. (5) The sentenced column may exceed those found guilty, as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty and committed for sentence at the crown court may be sentenced in the following year.  Source: Evidence and Analysis UnitOffice for Criminal Justice Reform, Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2:  N umber of persons sentenced at all courts for offences relating to possession of a gun in England and Wales, by age group and type of sentence, 2003 - 07 
			  Age group/result  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  Aged between 10 and 20  
			 Sentenced 393 504 617 596 697 
			 Absolute discharge 7 11 7 7 10 
			 Conditional discharge 35 49 64 58 38 
			 Fine 26 48 63 47 41 
			 Community sentence 166 249 329 303 388 
			 Fully suspended sentence   3 17 34 
			 Immediate custody 152 139 146 157 176 
			 Otherwise dealt with 7 8 5 7 10 
			   
			  Aged 21 and over  
			 Sentenced 799 1,077 1,379 1,333 1,428 
			 Absolute discharge 4 4 16 6 6 
			 Conditional discharge 73 138 190 194 183 
			 Fine 114 163 272 192 219 
			 Community sentence 155 260 362 339 357 
			 Fully suspended sentence 35 42 77 169 202 
			 Immediate custody 402 452 437 412 438 
			 Otherwise dealt with 16 18 25 21 23 
			  Notes: 1. The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3. The sentenced column may exceed those found guilty, as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty and committed for sentence at the crown court may be sentenced in the following year.  Source: (OMSAS)110-09

Housing: Sales

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 2 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 915-16W, on housing: sales, how many domestic property transactions there were according to Land Registry data in each local authority in England and Wales in the full calendar year of 2008.

Michael Wills: The information requested is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Land Registry: Average price and volume of sales by  district annual 2008( 1) 
			  District name  Total sales 
			 Adur 752 
			 Allerdale 1,013 
			 Alnwick 446 
			 Amber Valley 1,532 
			 Arun 2,244 
			 Ashfield 1,448 
			 Ashford 1,449 
			 Aylesbury Vale 2,127 
			 Babergh 1,079 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,705 
			 Barnet 3,445 
			 Barnsley 3,143 
			 Barrow-in-Furness 938 
			 Basildon 1,775 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 2,445 
			 Bassetlaw 1,335 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 1,887 
			 Bedford 1,825 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 367 
			 Bexley 2,485 
			 Birmingham 10,683 
			 Blaby 990 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 1,570 
			 Blackpool 1,914 
			 Blaenau Gwent 562 
			 Blyth Valley 892 
			 Bolsover 850 
			 Bolton 3,122 
			 Boston 873 
			 Bournemouth 3,091 
			 Bracknell Forest 1,634 
			 Bradford 6,169 
			 Braintree 1,703 
			 Breckland 1,530 
			 Brent 2,096 
			 Brentwood 912 
			 Bridgend 1,583 
			 Bridgnorth 522 
			 Brighton and Hove 3,434 
			 Broadland 1,445 
			 Bromley 3,764 
			 Bromsgrove 920 
			 Broxbourne 1,119 
			 Broxtowe 1,247 
			 Burnley 1,282 
			 Bury 2,039 
			 Caerphilly 1,690 
			 Calderdale 2,732 
			 Cambridge 1,382 
			 Camden 2,077 
			 Cannock Chase 957 
			 Canterbury 2,015 
			 Caradon 998 
			 Cardiff 4,127 
			 Carlisle 1,288 
			 Carmarthenshire 1,751 
			 Carrick 1,232 
			 Castle Morpeth 602 
			 Castle Point 968 
			 Ceredigion 633 
			 Charnwood 2,024 
			 Chelmsford 2,009 
			 Cheltenham 1,647 
			 Cherwell 1,593 
			 Chester 1,236 
			 Chesterfield 1,028 
			 Chester-le-Street 622 
			 Chichester 1,458 
			 Chiltern 947 
			 Chorley 1,208 
			 Christchurch 667 
			 City of Bristol 5,612 
			 City of Derby 2,974 
			 City of Kingston Upon Hull 3,310 
			 City of London 145 
			 City of Nottingham 3,109 
			 City of Peterborough 2,287 
			 City of Plymouth 3,106 
			 City of Westminster 2,776 
			 Colchester 2,562 
			 Congleton 997 
			 Conwy 1,409 
			 Copeland 848 
			 Corby 1,010 
			 Cotswold 1,025 
			 Coventry 3,495 
			 Craven 730 
			 Crawley 1,345 
			 Crewe and Nantwich 1,482 
			 Croydon 3,843 
			 Dacorum 1,646 
			 Darlington 1,488 
			 Dartford 1,369 
			 Daventry 961 
			 Denbighshire 1,046 
			 Derbyshire Dales 758 
			 Derwentside 1,300 
			 Doncaster 3,312 
			 Dover 1,228 
			 Dudley 3,051 
			 Durham 1,090 
			 Ealing 2,748 
			 Easington 1,330 
			 Eastbourne 1,498 
			 East Cambridgeshire 1,130 
			 East Devon 1,879 
			 East Dorset 993 
			 East Hampshire 1,366 
			 East Hertfordshire 1,656 
			 Eastleigh 1,670 
			 East Lindsey 1,741 
			 East Northamptonshire 1,193 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 4,265 
			 East Staffordshire 1,338 
			 Eden 567 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston 768 
			 Elmbridge 1,801 
			 Enfield 3,102 
			 Epping Forest 1,410 
			 Epsom and Ewell 872 
			 Erewash 1,428 
			 Exeter 1,377 
			 Fareham 1,418 
			 Fenland 1,307 
			 Flintshire 1,298 
			 Forest Heath 881 
			 Forest of Dean 881 
			 Fylde 1,080 
			 Gateshead 2,095 
			 Gedling 1,360 
			 Gloucester 1,581 
			 Gosport 1,082 
			 Gravesham 1,141 
			 Great Yarmouth 1,130 
			 Greenwich 2,388 
			 Guildford 1,640 
			 Gwynedd 1,162 
			 Hackney 1,713 
			 Halton 1,290 
			 Hambleton 959 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,692 
			 Harborough 1,084 
			 Haringey 2,012 
			 Harlow 924 
			 Harrogate 1,838 
			 Harrow 2,157 
			 Hart 1,209 
			 Hartlepool 1,116 
			 Hastings 1,362 
			 Havant 1,286 
			 Havering 2,615 
			 Herefordshire 1,851 
			 Hertsmere 1,101 
			 High Peak 931 
			 Hillingdon 3,023 
			 Hinckley and Bosworth 1,278 
			 Horsham 1,650 
			 Hounslow 2,286 
			 Huntingdonshire 2,110 
			 Hyndburn 1,077 
			 Ipswich 1,671 
			 Isle of Anglesey 687 
			 Isle of Wight 2,146 
			 Islington 2,262 
			 Kennet 971 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,765 
			 Kerrier 1,134 
			 Kettering 1,327 
			 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 1,861 
			 Kingston upon Thames 1,688 
			 Kirklees 4,897 
			 Knowsley 1,199 
			 Lambeth 2,985 
			 Lancaster 1,745 
			 Leeds 8,596 
			 Leicester 2,788 
			 Lewes 1,276 
			 Lewisham 2,596 
			 Lichfield 1,084 
			 Lincoln 1,401 
			 Liverpool 5,306 
			 Luton 2,066 
			 Macclesfield 1,772 
			 Maidstone 2,008 
			 Maldon 711 
			 Malvern Hills 748 
			 Manchester 5,895 
			 Mansfield 1,348 
			 Medway 3,245 
			 Melton 605 
			 Mendip 1,322 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 569 
			 Merton 2,213 
			 Mid Bedfordshire 1,614 
			 Mid Devon 979 
			 Middlesbrough 1,646 
			 Mid Suffolk 1,231 
			 Mid Sussex 1,689 
			 Milton Keynes 3,924 
			 Mole Valley 966 
			 Monmouthshire 820 
			 Neath Port Talbot 1,324 
			 Newark and Sherwood 1,457 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme 1,221 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 2,948 
			 New Forest 2,270 
			 Newham 2,661 
			 Newport 1,475 
			 Northampton 3,004 
			 North Cornwall 1,171 
			 North Devon 1,108 
			 North Dorset 779 
			 North East Derbyshire 909 
			 North East Lincolnshire 2,222 
			 North Hertfordshire 1,500 
			 North Kesteven 1,534 
			 North Lincolnshire 1,851 
			 North Norfolk 1,470 
			 North Shropshire 611 
			 North Somerset 2,613 
			 North Tyneside 2,467 
			 North Warwickshire 628 
			 North West Leicestershire 1,080 
			 North Wiltshire 1,650 
			 Norwich 1,698 
			 Nuneaton and Bedworth 1,322 
			 Oadby and Wigston 521 
			 Oldham 2,513 
			 Oswestry 409 
			 Oxford 1,431 
			 Pembrokeshire 1,323 
			 Pendle 1,211 
			 Penwith 775 
			 Poole 2,085 
			 Portsmouth 2,578 
			 Powys 1,219 
			 Preston 1,565 
			 Purbeck 548 
			 Reading 2,083 
			 Redbridge 2,991 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 1,540 
			 Redditch 864 
			 Reigate and Banstead 1,989 
			 Restormel 1,292 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taff 2,527 
			 Ribble Valley 626 
			 Richmondshire 512 
			 Richmond upon Thames 2,406 
			 Rochdale 2,081 
			 Rochford 977 
			 Rossendale 853 
			 Rother 1,324 
			 Rotherham 2,572 
			 Rugby 1,320 
			 Runnymede 1,035 
			 Rushcliffe 1,287 
			 Rushmoor 1,327 
			 Rutland 447 
			 Ryedale 575 
			 Salford 3,018 
			 Salisbury 1,379 
			 Sandwell 3,086 
			 Scarborough 1,676 
			 Sedgefield 1,050 
			 Sedgemoor 1,480 
			 Sefton 2,467 
			 Selby 1,017 
			 Sevenoaks 1,197 
			 Sheffield 6,345 
			 Shepway 1,450 
			 Shrewsbury and Atcham 921 
			 Slough 1,492 
			 Solihull 2,376 
			 Southampton 2,947 
			 South Bedfordshire 1,384 
			 South Bucks 823 
			 South Cambridgeshire 1,731 
			 South Derbyshire 1,288 
			 Southend-on-Sea 2,432 
			 South Gloucestershire 2,909 
			 South Hams 1,122 
			 South Holland 1,134 
			 South Kesteven 1,827 
			 South Lakeland 1,420 
			 South Norfolk 1,736 
			 South Northamptonshire 1,032 
			 South Oxfordshire 1,477 
			 South Ribble 1,267 
			 South Shropshire 473 
			 South Somerset 1,963 
			 South Staffordshire 908 
			 South Tyneside 1,538 
			 Southwark 2,457 
			 Spelthorne 1,124 
			 Stafford 1,363 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands 948 
			 St. Albans 1,716 
			 St. Edmundsbury 1,328 
			 Stevenage 898 
			 St. Helens 1,638 
			 Stockport 3,147 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 2,461 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 3,056 
			 Stratford-on-Avon 1,337 
			 Stroud 1,480 
			 Suffolk Coastal 1,659 
			 Sunderland 2,756 
			 Surrey Heath 1,165 
			 Sutton 2,361 
			 Swale 1,707 
			 Swansea 2,798 
			 Swindon 3,138 
			 Tameside 2,670 
			 Tamworth 834 
			 Tandridge 1,089 
			 Taunton Deane 1,256 
			 Teesdale 260 
			 Teignbridge 1,501 
			 Tendring 1,923 
			 Test Valley 1,203 
			 Tewkesbury 1,014 
			 Thanet 1,971 
			 The Vale of Glamorgan 1,309 
			 Three Rivers 1,039 
			 Thurrock 1,682 
			 Tonbridge and Malling 1,417 
			 Torbay 1,878 
			 Torfaen 841 
			 Torridge 910 
			 Tower Hamlets 2,466 
			 Trafford 2,230 
			 Tunbridge Wells 1,539 
			 Tynedale 659 
			 Uttlesford 1,082 
			 Vale of White Horse 1,201 
			 Vale Royal 1,360 
			 Wakefield 3,525 
			 Walsall 2,647 
			 Waltham Forest 2,407 
			 Wandsworth 3,961 
			 Wansbeck 780 
			 Warrington 2,436 
			 Warwick 1,779 
			 Watford 1,199 
			 Waveney 1,436 
			 Waverley 1,437 
			 Wealden 1,703 
			 Wear Valley 969 
			 Wellingborough 952 
			 Welwyn Hatfield 1,073 
			 West Berkshire 1,916 
			 West Devon 817 
			 West Dorset 1,404 
			 West Lancashire 934 
			 West Lindsey 1,296 
			 West Oxfordshire 1,397 
			 West Somerset 444 
			 West Wiltshire 1,785 
			 Weymouth and Portland 831 
			 Wigan 3,817 
			 Winchester 1,402 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 1,625 
			 Wirral 3,387 
			 Woking 1,354 
			 Wokingham 2,040 
			 Wolverhampton 2,129 
			 Worcester 1,310 
			 Worthing 1,447 
			 Wrekin 1,648 
			 Wrexham 1,173 
			 Wychavon 1,124 
			 Wycombe 1,826 
			 Wyre 1,299 
			 Wyre Forest 914 
			 York 2,280 
			 Total sales 645,405 
			 (1) Information relates to single residential properties sold for their full market value.

Housing: Sales

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many properties registered with the Land Registry changed ownership in each of the last three months.

Michael Wills: Land Registry is able to provide information on the total number of registered properties sold in the last three months for which data are available. As these figures are extracted using price paid data, no information is available for any properties which have not been sold. The only way to identify other changes of ownership would be to extract data regarding every application over the time period asked for. This could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Total sales( 1) 
			  2009  
			 January 25,762 
			 February 24,556 
			 March 13,131 
			 (1 )As at 31 March 2009.

Land Registry: Complaints

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the remit of the Office of the Independent Complaints Reviewer extends to the investigation of complaints relating to errors made by local Land Registry offices.

Michael Wills: Complaints concerning a land registration decision made by a Land Registrar are not available for review by the Independent Complaints Reviewer. Such decisions can only be reviewed judicially. Complaints about the way in which decisions were made may be investigated. The Independent Complaints Reviewer can also investigate matters not involving a land registration decision, but usually only when complaints have been through Land Registry's internal complaints procedure.

Political Parties: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish revised impact assessments following Government amendments made to the Political Parties and Elections Bill.

Michael Wills: Revised impact assessments for the Political Parties and Elections Bill were published alongside introduction to the House of Lords on the 3 March 2009. The latest versions of the impact assessments can be found on the Ministry of Justice website
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/political-parties-elections-bill.htm
	in the Vote Office, or in the Lords Printed Paper Office.

Political Parties: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to bring Clause 13 of the Political Parties and Elections Bill into effect.

Michael Wills: Clause 13 of the Political Parties and Elections Bill increases the thresholds for recording and reporting donations in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. It will come into force on a day appointed by order made by statutory instrument. We are considering, in discussion with the Electoral Commission, what the most appropriate timing for commencement might be.

Politics and Government

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which proposals contained in The Governance of Britain, Cm 7170, have yet to be  (a) commenced and  (b) fully implemented.

Michael Wills: The 'Governance of Britain' Green Paper, published in July 2007 set out a route map for further constitutional reform, to better strengthen the relationship between government, Parliament and the citizen, and to take steps towards a new constitutional settlement that built on the reforms that had been carried out since 1997.
	In July 2008 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor, made a written ministerial statement that set out the progress that had been made in meeting the objectives of the Governance of Britain programme in the 12 months since publication. The accompanying report, 'Governance of Britain: One year on', set out progress on the key commitments in the Green Paper and was published on the Ministry of Justice website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/governance-britain-one-year-on.htm
	An update to the 'Governance of Britain: One year on' report has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Prisoners: Religion

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of those detained in  (a) young offender institutions and  (b) prisons changed their declaration of religious faith to Muslim in each year since 2003.

David Hanson: Information on how many prisoners had changed their declared religion to Muslim is not held centrally.
	The Prison Service Order on Religion (4550) sets out the process for change of religious affiliation by prisoners, which is managed locally by establishments. A copy of the Prison Service Order is in the Libraries of the House.
	Information on population in prison establishments by religion is published annually in Offender Management Caseload Statistics (most recently for 2007), copies of which can be found in the Libraries of the House, and also on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonandprobation.htm

Privacy: Impact Assessments

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what requirements there are on Government Departments to  (a) notify and  (b) consult the Information Commissioner in respect of privacy impact assessments.

Michael Wills: The report of the Cabinet Secretary's Review of Data Handling Procedures, published in June 2008, mandated that all Government Departments carry out privacy impact assessments when introducing new policies or processes involving the use of personal data. While Government Departments are not required to consult the Information Commissioner in respect of the privacy impact assessments, many choose to do so.

Repossession Orders

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many court orders have been issued for the repossession of homes in Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath constituency in the last two years for which data is available.

Bridget Prentice: Figures for Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath constituency are not available. However, the following table shows the number of mortgage and landlord possession orders made in the Birmingham county court, for 2007 and 2008.
	The civil procedure rules state that all claims for the repossession of land must be commenced in the district in which the land is situated. However, geographical boundaries of county courts may not necessarily be consistent with other administrative or constituency boundaries. Repossession orders made at Birmingham county court may therefore relate to properties in other constituencies besides Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath.
	These figures do not indicate how many homes have actually been repossessed. Repossessions can occur without a court order being made while not all court orders result in repossession.
	
		
			  Number of mortgage( 1)  and landlord( 2,)( )( 3)  possession orders made( 4,)( )( 5)  in Birmingham county court, 2007-08( 6) 
			   Mortgage possession  Landlord possession 
			 2007 3,181 4,074 
			 2008 4,280 4,038 
			 2007-08 20,822 42,136 
			 (1) Includes all types of mortgage lenders. (2) Includes all types of landlord whether social or private. (3) Landlord actions include those made under both standard and accelerated procedures. Landlord actions via the accelerated procedure enables the orders to be made solely on the basis of written evidence for shorthold tenancies, when the fixed period of tenancy has come to an end. (4) The court, following a judicial hearing, may grant an order for possession immediately. This entitles the claimant to apply for a warrant to have the defendant evicted. However, even where a warrant for possession is issued, the parties can still negotiate a compromise to prevent eviction. (5) Includes outright and suspended orders, the latter being where the court grants the claimant possession but suspends the operation of the order. Provided the defendant complies with the terms of suspension, which usually require the defendant to pay the current mortgage or rent instalments plus some of the accrued arrears, the possession order cannot be enforced. (6) Figures for the latest year are provisional.  Source: Ministry of Justice

Young Offenders: Reoffenders

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2009,  Official Report, column 998W, on young offenders: reoffenders, what the final figures are for the number of  (a) persistent young offenders and  (b) offences committed by persistent young offenders in each police force area in 2008.

David Hanson: Overall statistics on persistent young offenders (PYOs) for England and Wales and each police force area are available from 1997 to 2008.
	These figures are designed to measure the speed and efficiency of the youth justice system, through monitoring the pledge to halve the average time from arrest to sentence for dealing with PYOs in England and Wales from 142 days in 1996 to 71 days. They are not designed to measure overall trends in youth crime, and will give a misleading picture of the true trend if used for this purpose.
	The table shows the number of PYOs, and the number of offences committed by them after designation, for each police force area in 2008. These figures are now finalised and replace the provisional ones provided before.
	On 10 December 2008, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor announced in a written ministerial statement that 2008 is the last year for which PYO statistics will be published and compiled, instead, from this year, Local Criminal Justice Boards are being asked to focus on a single priority group of young offenders deemed to pose the highest risk of re-offending and causing serious harm to others, the Deter group.
	
		
			  Number of persistent young offenders (PYOs) and offences committed by PYOs, by police force area, 2008 
			  Police force area  Number of persistent young offenders  Number of offences committed by persistent young offenders 
			 Avon and Somerset 394 762 
			 Bedfordshire 110 197 
			 Cambridgeshire 191 322 
			 Cheshire 242 436 
			 Cleveland 304 673 
			 Cumbria 240 457 
			 Derbyshire 296 498 
			 Devon and Cornwall 335 590 
			 Dorset 143 243 
			 Durham 259 451 
			 Dyfed-Powys 134 237 
			 Essex 397 764 
			 Gloucestershire 164 295 
			 Greater Manchester 1,158 2,202 
			 Gwent 173 325 
			 Hampshire 676 1,245 
			 Hertfordshire 188 357 
			 Humberside 365 669 
			 Kent 354 625 
			 Lancashire 617 1,257 
			 Leicestershire 232 445 
			 Lincolnshire 106 175 
			 Merseyside 471 868 
			 Metropolitan 1,849 3,144 
			 Norfolk 157 291 
			 North Wales 203 377 
			 North Yorkshire 250 492 
			 Northamptonshire 160 291 
			 Northumbria 826 1,672 
			 Nottinghamshire 331 558 
			 South Wales 355 626 
			 South Yorkshire 388 688 
			 Staffordshire 268 479 
			 Suffolk 208 410 
			 Surrey 120 225 
			 Sussex 362 674 
			 Thames Valley 428 729 
			 Warwickshire 117 212 
			 West Mercia 312 571 
			 West Midlands 715 1138 
			 West Yorkshire 875 1581 
			 Wiltshire 111 190 
			
			 England and Wales 15,819 28,834

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

European Parliament: Allowances

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Leader of the House whether she made an assessment of the system of daily allowance payments used by the European Parliament before deciding to propose a system of per diem payments for hon. Members.

Chris Bryant: A range of systems in operation in other Parliaments and Assemblies have been considered.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry: Legal Costs

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 851-52W, on the Bloody Sunday Tribunal Inquiry, for what reasons the legal costs for February 2009 differ in comparison with the other months listed.

Shaun Woodward: I am advised that the legal costs for the Bloody Sunday Inquiry in the month of February 2009 were higher than in previous months due to the payment of various outstanding legal fees.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the  (a) energy consumed by,  (b) energy cost of and  (c) carbon dioxide emissions from each category of IT device in each division of his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Currently such information is not available. However, the Northern Ireland Office is undertaking work, in line with its Green ICT Strategy, to establish its baseline for the energy consumed, its cost and emissions by ICT equipment. Initially, attention has been focused on server rooms, and monitoring equipment is being installed to measure energy consumption from which other information can be derived. As the Northern Ireland Office does not have separate electrical circuits for ICT equipment in offices, the measurement of energy consumption will be based on using a 'ready reckoner' across the Department and the information extrapolated. The Northern Ireland Office has no historical information on the energy consumed, its cost or CO2 emissions in each of the last five years.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps his Department has taken to address the effect on levels of carbon dioxide emissions from his Department of its ICT purchases since the publication of the Greening Government ICT Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office has a Green ICT Strategy in place, derived from the Cabinet Office 'Greening Government ICT' strategy. The Northern Ireland Office Board is committed to implementing the strategy's 51 recommendations, where practicable. To date, 29 recommendations have already been addressed or are under active consideration, including a commitment that new ICT equipment will comply with at least one of the green energy standards. This is now incorporated into all centralised procurement framework agreements.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average server capacity utilisation by each division of his Department was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Figures are only available for the financial year 2008-09 in which the average server utilisation in the Northern Ireland Office was 12 per cent. This is the sort of level to be expected from the current system and it is a limitation of the design/technology available when it was implemented in 2004. The equipment is still in use since the Northern Ireland Office has sought to extend the lifecycle as recommended in the Cabinet Office Greening ICT strategy. However, the Department has also been testing new replacement technologies known collectively as 'virtualisation', and future refreshes of our internal network will implement this new technology to achieve the recommended 50 per cent. server utilisation.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what proportion of IT products in each category procured for each division of his Department were compliant with the Government's Buy Sustainable-Quick Win standard in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The following table provides details of the IT products purchased by the Northern Ireland Office in the financial year 2008-09 and indicates the proportion compliant with the Government's Buy Sustainable-Quick Win standard. These figures relate to the core Department only.
	
		
			  IT products  Number purchased  Proportion compliant with standard (percentage) 
			 Personal Computers 70 90 
			 Printers 14 90 
			 Laptops 20 100 
			 Servers 18 (1) 
			 (1) The current vendor has not yet been assessed against the standard.

Revenue and Customs: Londonderry

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pension credit applications submitted to HM Revenue and Customs in Londonderry are logged as lost or misplaced.

Paul Goggins: My Department does not hold this information, which is the responsibility of the Social Security Agency of the Department of Social Development in Northern Ireland.

Weapons

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning on the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: We are in regular contact with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD). The IICD is confident that they are making meaningful progress toward the decommissioning of loyalist weapons and will report again in August.

OLYMPICS

Olympic Games 2012: Construction

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many people have undertaken training to NVQ skills level  (a) one and  (b) two as part of the construction project on the Olympic Park.

Tessa Jowell: Through the London Development Agency's Local Employment and Training Framework (LETF), delivered by the five Olympic host boroughs in partnership with the Olympic Delivery Authority, 3,446 local residents have been given Olympic-related skills training. This has included direct construction training such as plant, civils, rail and steelwork, as well as preliminary construction-related training such as site security. Training provision is based on specific forecasted demand for the skills requirements of the Olympic Park and Village and other local construction projects such as the Stratford City development and the East London Line Extension project.
	The LDA uses three main training categories; Skills Basic, Skills Other and Skills Level 2. Skills Basic is equivalent to literacy, numeracy or ESOL at Entry Level 3 and above; Skills Level 2 is broadly equivalent to NVQ Level 2; Skills Other is formed of training between Skills Basic and Level 2, and this qualification has been specifically designed for use by the five host boroughs to deliver a range of short entry level courses based on the expressed requirements of employers.
	For the year 2008-09, by the end of quarter 3 there had been 1,458 Skills Other trainees and 147 Skills Level 2 trainees. Of these, 665 trainees, all of who were previously unemployed, had already moved into new jobs. Activity has continued into January, February and March, and the next LETF update to cover the full year will be available on 1 May 2009. The numbers receiving training during 2007-08 were 1,749 Skills Other and 65 Level 2, and for 2006-07 (commencing late autumn) the numbers receiving training were 764 Skills Other, but no Level 2s.

PRIME MINISTER

Ministers' Interests

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 12 March 2009,  Official Report, column 28WS, on list of Ministers' interests, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Cabinet Secretary's guidance on blind trusts.

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will direct all Ministers who hold assets in blind trusts to name  (a) the executors of those trusts and  (b) the monetary value of the assets transferred to the trust at the time of their appointment;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy that blind trusts operated on behalf of Ministers shall be managed by the Public Trustee.

Gordon Brown: The Ministerial Code sets out the processes for handling Ministers' financial interests.

Queen Elizabeth II: Anniversaries

Bob Russell: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has for the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Her Majesty the Queen; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: The Government are in discussions with the Royal Household as to how to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen in 2012.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

Government Departments: Accountancy

Francis Maude: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission with reference to paragraph 5.5 of the Ministerial Code, on how many occasions since May 1997 departmental accounting officers have written to the Comptroller and Auditor General following a written instruction from a Minister to take an action which the Accounting Officer considered would breach the requirements of propriety or regularity.

Alan Williams: Paragraph 5.5 of the Ministerial Code refers to ministerial directions, which may arise in respect of Accounting Officers' concerns about propriety, regularity or value for money. The Comptroller and Auditor General has confirmed that there have been nine directions in relation to propriety and regularity notified to him since May 1997, as set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Department  Subject of direction 
			 1998 Northern Ireland Court Service Concerns an individual's personnel records 
			 1998 MOD Sale of cadet property in Moffat 
			 1998 DSS Benefits Integrity Project 
			 1999 DSS Benefits Integrity Project 
			 1999 DSS Benefits Integrity Project 
			 2000 MOD Use of public funds to provide financial assistance to meet cost of air flight to Croatia for member of public to attend trial of those accused of murder of his son, a British serviceman 
			 2001 Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) 
			 2006 MOD Armed Forces Memorial 
			 2009 BERR Icelandic Water Trawlermen Scheme

SCOTLAND

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent progress his Department has made towards the target of increasing its energy efficiency per square metre of its Estate by 15 per cent. by 2010, relative to 1999-2000 levels; and if he will make a statement.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office is part of the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice's energy use is included in the Sustainable Development in Government (SDiG) returns which are published by the Sustainable Development Commission.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the  (a) energy consumed by,  (b) energy cost of and  (c) carbon dioxide emissions from each category of IT device in each division of his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office has not made separate estimates of the  (a) energy consumed by,  (b) energy cost of and  (c) carbon dioxide emissions from each category of IT device in each division of the Department in each of the last five years. The Scotland Office shares an information and communications technology system (SCOTS) with the Scottish Government which is responsible for the development, administration, and maintenance of the system including the provision of hardware. The Scottish Government are complying with the same standards as those set out in the Greening Government ICT Strategy.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps his Department has taken to address the effect on levels of carbon dioxide emissions from his Department of its ICT purchases since the publication of the Greening Government ICT Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office shares an information and communications technology system (SCOTS) with the Scottish Government which is responsible for the development, administration, and maintenance of the system including the provision of hardware. The Scottish Government are complying with the same standards as those set out in the Greening Government ICT Strategy.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the average server capacity utilisation by each division of his Department was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office shares an information and communications technology system (SCOTS) with the Scottish Executive which is responsible for the development, administration, and maintenance of the system including the provision of hardware. As part of the SCOTS Technology Refresh Project the MS Exchange/Outlook mailbox servers are being consolidated into a new central Data Centre at the end of April 2009. For 2008 the overall average server capacity utilisation was 77 per cent.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many  (a) printers and  (b) multi-function devices with printing functions were in use in each division of his Department in each of the last five years; how many such devices had a function enabling two-sided printing; and if he will make a statement.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office shares an information and communications technology system (SCOTS) with the Scottish Executive which is responsible for the development, administration, and maintenance of the system including the provision of hardware. The Scottish Executive is complying with the same standards as those set out in the Greening Government ICT Strategy.
	The Office has a total of 55 printers, of which 25 (45 per cent.) are enabled for double sided printing. As and when printers in the Office reach the end of their life or they become economically unviable to repair they will be replaced by duplex printers. The Office does not have any multi-function devices.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what proportion of IT products in each category procured for each division of his Department were compliant with the Government's Buy Sustainable-Quick Win standard in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office shares an information and communications technology system (SCOTS) with the Scottish Executive which is responsible for the development, administration, and maintenance of the system including the provision of hardware. The Scottish Executive is complying with the same standards as those set out in the Greening Government ICT Strategy.
	All Office Machinery items that are suppliedPC, Monitor, Laptop, Laser Printers and MFDs all meet the best practice Government Buy Sustainable-Quick Win standard.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Corruption

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Solicitor-General which authorities have powers to bring prosecutions for offences related to bribery.

Vera Baird: There is a common law offence of bribery which can be prosecuted by any of the relevant prosecuting authorities. In practice, prosecutions for bribery in England and Wales are brought by one or other of these prosecuting authorities under the Public Bodies Corrupt Practices Act 1889 or the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 with the consent of the Attorney-General.
	The Crown Prosecution Service is responsible for prosecuting offences investigated by the police in England and Wales. The Serious Fraud Office is responsible for investigating and prosecuting cases relating to serious or complex fraud in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which includes offences of domestic and overseas bribery.
	However, under the law of England and Wales there remains a general power to bring a private prosecution for any offence, subject to any specific statutory provision to the contrary. This means that it would in theory be possible for another authority to bring a prosecution for bribery, if the offence related to the authority's discharge of its public functions and the necessary consent of the Attorney-General had been obtained.

TRANSPORT

British Airways

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many former senior officials from his Department have been employed by British Airways upon leaving the Department in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The Department does not maintain a central record of where senior officials go to work when they leave the Department. All senior officials leaving the Department are reminded of their obligation under the Business Appointment Rules to seek permission before accepting an outside appointment within two years of leaving Crown Service.

Driving: Licensing

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many photo card driving licences issued since 1998, where the driver is still alive and eligible to drive, have not been renewed upon expiration.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The requirement to renew a photograph on a driving licence became operational in July 2008. As of 2 April 2009, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency have issued reminders to 295,441 drivers' whose photographs have now expired, of whom 66,258 have not, as yet, renewed them.

Dunsfold Aerodrome

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what  (a) controls and  (b) restrictions apply to flights from the Dunsfold Aerodrome site in Surrey.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Controls and restrictions on the operation of Dunsfold airfield are matters for the local planning authority and the airfield operator.

Heathrow Airport

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department  (a) has issued during the last two years and  (b) plans to issue within the next year on security at Heathrow Airport; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Security guidance is issued to the aviation industry in the UK as a whole, and is revised and updated as necessary to reflect the changing nature of the threat.

Heathrow Airport

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent reports he has received on the effectiveness of the operation of Heathrow Terminal 5; what recent discussions he has had with British Airways on the issue; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: My right hon. Friend has not had any recent discussions with British Airways on this issue.
	BAA provides information on performance at Heathrow against service quality targets set by the Civil Aviation Authority. The most recent report for Terminal 5 stated that in March 2009 BAA met or exceeded the majority of its targets, reducing the length of waiting at security search such that queue times were less than five minutes for over 96 per cent. of the time.

Heathrow Airport

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether consideration was given to civilian use of RAF Northolt as an alternative to a third runway at Heathrow airport;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the expansion of Heathrow airport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The 2003 Future of Air Transport White Paper considered options for using RAF Northolt as a satellite runway of Heathrow, but rejected this in favour of other development options, including adding a third runway at Heathrow. The proposals in the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation document (November 2007), which explicitly acknowledged the potential implications for RAF Northolt, were drawn up in consultation with the Ministry of Defence, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence was similarly consulted prior to the Heathrow decisions announced to Parliament on 15 January.

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of vehicles from EU accession states on the road in the UK which have no tax or motor insurance; what steps he is taking to ensure that such vehicles are on the road legally; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Foreign registered vehicles temporarily brought into the UK by overseas residents are usually exempt from UK registration and licensing under the Motor Vehicles (International Circulation) Order 1975. The exemptions state that a vehicle which is properly registered and taxed in its home country may be used by a visitor for up to six months in any 12 without being subject to domestic registration and licensing. Data relating to the total number of vehicles entering the UK from EU accession states are not collected.

Roads: Accidents

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with representatives of  (a) Dorset county council and  (b) each other county council on progress towards meeting road accident reduction targets for 2010 in respect of (i) adults and (ii) children killed and seriously injured.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In-depth local discussions take place between local authorities, including Dorset county council, and regional Government office officials as part of their ongoing bilateral discussions on Local Area Agreements and progress against authorities' Local Transport Plans (LTP).
	As part of the Department for Transport's process for reviewing Local Transport Plan progress, all LTP areas recently produced Local Transport Plan Progress Reports at the end of 2008, covering the period 2006-08. Local authorities met with their Government office to discuss their progress and identify future challenges. Progress reviews focus on what has been achieved across the key themes, such as road safety, which is one of the four LTP shared priorities. Letters relating to progress, including for the two LTPs that Dorset county council are involved in, are published on the Department's website:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/reqional/ltp/ltp2/
	The Department has a number of projects and activities that seek to support local highway authorities and their partners to address local road safety issues to assist in meeting casualty reduction targets for 2010. As part of these, discussions have taken place with Dorset county council and a very large number of other local authorities.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will investigate the effects of the signage of average speed check cameras on the A127 between Basildon and Southend on  (a) the number of speeding offences on the road,  (b) the number of cars using the road and  (c) road user awareness of the cameras.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has no plans to investigate the effects of the signage of average speed cameras on the A127 as signing is entirely the responsibility of the local traffic authority. Evidence shows that average speed cameras have major casualty reduction benefits. The Department will work to promote good evaluation of the latest generation of these cameras and share the results with road safety stakeholders.

TREASURY

Bank Notes

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will replace the 1 coin with a 1 note; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of using a long-life plastic money note.

Ian Pearson: The Bank of England has no plans to reintroduce the 1 note.
	In 1984, when the 1 paper note was replaced with a coin, the average life of 1 notes was nine months. While there is evidence that polymer notes last longer than paper notes, the cost of production would be greater and there would likely be switching costs incurred across the economy.

Bank Services

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to enforce compliance by banks and building societies with regulations to treat customers fairly in respect of differential interest rates for new and existing individual savings account holders.

Ian Pearson: The matters raised in this question are the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), whose day to day operations are independent from Government control and influence. I have asked the FSA to write to the hon. Member.

Civil Servants: Pensions

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1447-8W, on civil servants: pensions, how many individuals have pension funds invested in  (a) Standard Life and  (b) Scottish Widows with-profit funds according to records held by the Financial Services Authority.

Ian Pearson: The matter raised in this question is the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority, whose day-to-day operations are independent from Government control and influence. I have asked the FSA to write to the hon. Member.

Departmental Assets

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when his Department last reviewed its assets and land and property holdings with a view to identifying and disposing of surpluses.

Ian Pearson: The Treasury Group published its Asset Management strategy for the Comprehensive Spending Review period in December 2007. It keeps its property holdings under continuous review in order to respond to changing departmental accommodation requirements. As a result, a small area of some of 574 square metres of surplus space in the Leeds office is currently being marketed actively. In addition, HM Treasury is currently undertaking a feasibility study into further efficiencies in building use in central London.

Departmental Consultants

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many consultants were employed by his Department and its agencies in 2008-09; how much was spent on them; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Details of spending on consultants for the Treasury, Debt Management Office and the Office of Government Commerce for 2008-09 will be shown in the Treasury's Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09, due for publication in the summer, following the audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General. The Treasury does not hold a central record of the number of consultants employed and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Secondment

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of staff from his Department and its agencies were seconded to  (a) other Government Departments and  (b) external organisations in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The following table shows the number of members of staff from HM Treasury and its agencies who undertook a secondment between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009 in other Government Departments and external organisations.
	
		
			  Number of staff 
			   Secondees to other Departments  Secondees to external organisations 
			 HM Treasury 5 15 
			 Office of Government Commerce 2 2 
			 UK Debt Management Office 0 0

Departmental Sick Leave

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff days were lost as a result of sick leave from his Department in each of the last five financial years; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Sickness absence data for all central Government Departments since 2003 to 2007 have been published annually by the Cabinet Office at:
	http://beta.civilservice.gov.uk/about/who/statistics/sickness.aspx
	This represents a four year period with the fourth year being for the financial year 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007.
	From 1 April 2007 arrangements changed and it became the responsibility of Departments to produce sickness data and the Cabinet Office has published a combined departmental quarterly report. This is available on:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/reports/absence.aspx
	In respect of the fifth financial year in question, 2007-08, 5,507 sickness days in respect of HMT were included within the Cabinet Office figures for the four quarters within the financial year, representing an average of 4.7 days sickness absence for each employee.

Economic and Monetary Union

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1183W, on economic and monetary union, who the designated Euro-Minister is in each Department; and on what date each acquired the Euro brief.

Ian Pearson: The designated Euro Minister for each Department and the year they were appointed is stated in the following table:
	
		
			  Department  Minister 
			 HM Treasury Ian Pearson (2008) 
			 Ministry of Defence (MOD) Bob Ainsworth (2007) 
			 Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulation Reform (BERR) Gareth Thomas (2008) 
			 Northern Ireland Office Paul Goggins (2007) 
			 National Assembly for Wales Rhodri Morgan (2001) 
			 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Jane Kennedy(2008) 
			 Department for Work and Pension (DWP) Jonathan Shaw (2008) 
			 Department for Children, Schools and Families Sarah McCarthy-Fry (2008) 
			 Department of Health (DOH) Dawn Primarolo (2007) 
			 Scotland Office Ann McKechin (2008) 
			 Cabinet Office Tom Watson (2008) 
			 Department for Transport (DFT) Geoff Hoon (2008) 
			 Home Office Phil Woolas (2008) 
			 Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) John Healey (2008) 
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Caroline Flint (2008) 
			 Ministry of Justice Lord Bach (2008) 
			 Wales Office Wayne David (2008)

Financial Services: Fraud

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance issued by the Financial Services Authority on anti-money laundering and politically exposed persons.

Ian Pearson: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) does not issue detailed anti-money laundering guidance.
	The Joint Money Laundering Steering Group (JMLSG), a consortium of financial services industry bodies, produces guidance for financial sector businesses in the UK. Their latest guidance was approved by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in December 2007. The JMLSG guidance includes material on terrorist financing and money laundering, including the risks presented by politically exposed persons, and recommends best practice in managing those risks.
	This guidance is available from their website at:
	www.jmlsg.org.uk
	When undertaking their statutory duty to supervise financial sector firms compliance with the Money Laundering Regulations 2007, the FSA will have regard to whether firms have taken the JMLSG guidance into account.

Government Departments: Aviation

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate has been made of the expenditure on air travel procured under the OGC Buying Solutions Government Air Programme in each of the next three years.

Angela Eagle: The estimate for Government Air Programme spend over each of the next three years is 69.6 million per annum.

Government Departments: Consultants

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Office of Government Commerce has recorded as being spent on consultants by central Government in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Ian Pearson: Consultancy spend by the 16 largest spending central Government Departments for 2007-08, the most recent year available, has been published by the Office of Government Commerce. Details can be found using the following link:
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/professional_services_consultancy_value_programme.asp

Inheritance Tax

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in  (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency and  (b) the UK have contacted the Debt Management and Banking Department of HM Revenue and Customs in response to demands for inheritance tax since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not centrally collated and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 321-2W, on Members: correspondence, when he plans to reply to the letter of 29 December 2008 from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire on licensing of banks for Financial Services Authority compensation scheme regulations (PO reference: 1/65525/2009);
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1625W, on Members: correspondence, when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 6 November 2008 on charities, (PO reference: 1/62894/2008).

Ian Pearson: Replies have been sent to the hon. Member.

Parliamentary Questions: Costs

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1187W, on parliamentary questions, what the disproportionate cost threshold has been in each year since 1997.

Ian Pearson: At 1 January 1997 the disproportionate cost threshold (DCT) stood at 450, it has since increased as follows:
	
		
			
			 21 July 1997 500 
			 15 May 2000 550 
			 11 April 2002 600 
			 15 November 2006 700 
			 3 December 2008 750

PAYE

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent notification sent by HM Revenue and Customs to the Information Commissioner on pay as you earn coding notices being issued to the wrong people.

Stephen Timms: Details of data related incidents reported by HM Revenue and Customs to the Information Commissioner will be included in the Departmental Resource Accounts in July 2009.

PAYE

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of pay as you earn coding notices issued to the wrong individual as a result of errors in HM Revenue and Customs' print and post processes in the last 12 months.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs issued approximately 22 million coding notices to individuals and their agents in the tax year 2008-09. Over the last 12 months it estimates that approximately 1,400 notices were issued incorrectly through print and post errors.

Public Bodies: Annual Reports

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy for the Cabinet Office to publish details of annual public expenditure on the part of executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and other central government bodies.

Ian Pearson: Executive agencies, executive non-departmental public bodies, and, where relevant, other central Government bodies individually publish details of their expenditure in their annual financial accounts. The accounts of executive agencies are also consolidated into their parent Department's resource accounts, also published annually and laid in the House. Whole of Government Accounts, that will consolidate the accounts of all bodies classified to the public sector, will be produced and published for the first time for financial year 2009-10.

Public Sector: Hospitality

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1187W, on public sector: hospitality, how many bookings for stays at five star or above hotels were made through the Expotel contract by his Department in the last year for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: Total cost for HM Treasury in the period 20 April 2008 to 19 April 2009.
	
		
			   Number of trips  Number of  nights stayed  Total  cost () 
			  Customer
			 H M Treasury 3 6 500.00

Tax Avoidance

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward legislative proposals to  (a) make the design and promotion of schemes intended primarily as a vehicle for tax avoidance illegal and  (b) establish penalties for those involved in the design and promotion of such schemes.

Ian Pearson: Tax evasion is unlawful. It is unlawful for any person to assist in or induce the preparation or delivery of any information, return or accounts or other documents he knows will be, or are likely to be, used for any purpose of tax and which he knows to be incorrect.

Tax Collection

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many statements HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) sent out in the tax year 2008-09 for an amount of tax owed by either HMRC or a taxpayer rolled over to the next tax year of between  (a) 0.01 and 5.00,  (b) 5.01 and 10.00,  (c) 10.01 and 15.00,  (d) 15.01 and 20.00 and  (e) 20.01 and 25.00; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: HM Revenue and Customs does not have this information.

Tax Evasion

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward legislative proposals for a general anti-tax evasion provision.

Ian Pearson: Tax evasion is unlawful and those evading taxes are already subject to penalties of up to 100 per cent. of the tax evaded.

Taxation: Motor Vehicles

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the financial implications for car dealerships in 2009-10 of changes to the taxation treatment of demonstrator motor vehicles introduced with effect from 6 April 2009.

Angela Eagle: This change was implemented, following consultation with the motor industry, in such a way that it should not cost the industry any extra overall.

Taxation: Transport

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total revenue from transport-related taxes, including from value added tax in respect of a transport-related commodity or action, was in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: Figures on fuel duty, vehicle excise duty and air passenger duty are published in Table C6 of Budget 2009, available at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
	Figures on company car tax and income tax and national insurance contributions on the assessed benefit of company fuel (fuel benefit charge) are available at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats
	The figures exclude VAT as HM Revenue and Customs does not collect data on VAT from individual goods and services.

UK Financial Investments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether UK Financial Investments will publish an annual report and accounts for 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: As the Framework Document between UK Financial Investments (UKFI) and the Treasury sets out, UKFI's annual report and audited accounts will be laid before Parliament.
	The Framework Document is available at UKFI's website:
	http://www.ukfi.gov.uk/

William Dyer Electrical: Taxation

Janet Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will direct HM Revenue and Customs urgently to refund the sum of 67,000 due to William Dyer Electrical Ltd. of Haslingden, Rossendale.

Ian Pearson: HMRC are not in a position to provide such information about individual businesses; to do so would breach taxpayer confidentiality.